He first went to the archery club.
He spent some time practicing with the Sakuramiya sisters, Saya and Hinata.
Seeing the twin "goddesses" of the archery club, one on each side, accompanying Hikari, a single male, as he practiced, the other club members couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and jealousy.
But when they saw his incredible skill, every shot hitting true, arrows piercing straight through the center of the target, they were left speechless.
In clubs with clearly defined activities, skill spoke for itself.
So seeing a newbie with such outstanding archery ability, they could only feel inferior and quietly go back to practicing on their own.
As the people around them gradually drifted away, Hinata took the chance, under the pretext of guiding his stance, to lean close against his side.
She whispered softly into his ear, "Hikari-kun, we haven't seen you for days… my sister and I have really missed you."
Just as Hinata said, it had been several days. Even the usually reserved Saya leaned in from his other side, and whispered, "We've both really missed you… we're tired from shooting too… how about we go rest in the lounge together."
Hearing the sisters' soft, sweet voices and their affectionate words, there was no way Hikari couldn't feel what they were hinting at.
He nodded, "Alright. I'm not tired yet, but we can do as you say, let's go rest for a bit."
The three of them walked one after another into the lounge reserved for them inside the archery club.
Up until the moment the door closed, the expressions on Saya and Hinata's faces remained serious and distant, just like the aloof "flowers on a high peak" they usually were in the club.
But the instant the door shut, those two snow lotuses bloomed at once for Hikari, opening up into their most radiant smiles.
———
About half an hour later, the archery club members gradually began to leave.
Though some were curious about the sudden disappearance of Hikari and the sisters, they didn't think too much of it.
Inside the lounge, after their "exercise" and "stretching," Hinata and Saya were both utterly exhausted, their bodies damp with sweat.
After helping them put their archery uniforms back on, Hikari finally turned and left the room.
Group "exchange of thoughts" like this wasn't new to him.
But for some reason, interacting with the Sakuramiya sisters always gave him a strangely fresh feeling.
'Could it be… this is what it's like when lilies get straightened?', Hikari shook his head and prepared to head home.
———
Meanwhile, Yoshida Saki, who had been at a street-side bookstore for quite a while, was also getting ready to put down her book and go home.
After school, she had felt it was still early, so instead of heading straight home, she stopped by a bookstore and spent some time reading her favorite manga.
As a homebody, Saki really liked all things related to ACG. [T/N: Anime, comics and games.]
But after reading for a while, Hikari's figure suddenly appeared in her mind.
'Hikari-kun is really amazing… kind… smart… and really good-looking…'
'Even the girls around him are all prettier than the last.'
'A duckling like me… there's no way I could walk by his side…'
Even though she had started dressing up a little since entering high school, Saki still felt deeply insecure.
'But I can't just give up because it's hard!'
"Just like today, standing up to Nogami Izumi and the others was just as difficult, but Hikari-kun still stepped forward to help me.'
'So if I want to stand beside him, I… I have to try harder too!'
'Come on, even an ugly duckling can transform!'
Thinking back to how he had stood by her side earlier that day, when everyone else was accusing and misunderstanding her, yet he alone stepped forward without hesitation, Saki quietly encouraged herself.
'I have to be brave like Hikari-kun. He even said I need to become confident!'
'Mm… maybe I should start by buying some fashion magazines to read?'
With that thought, she put down the manga in her hand and walked over to the fashion magazine section.
Looking at the dazzling array of magazines on the shelves, with large, stylish model photos on the covers, Saki already felt a little overwhelmed.
She randomly picked up one from the top and flipped through a few pages, her face quickly scrunching up.
"Ugh… mm…"
"I really don't understand fashion at all… what should I do…"
"And these models are way too cute… I don't think I can use them as reference. Just trying to match outfits like these would cost a lot, right? I don't have that much allowance…"
As she flipped through the magazine, Saki felt a headache coming on.
Just then, a slightly magnetic male voice suddenly spoke from behind her.
"Hm? That's the last copy of mon mon, isn't it?"
"I've been looking for it everywhere."
Startled by the sudden voice, Saki quickly turned around.
A fashionably dressed young man stood behind her, smiling.
He looked to be in his early twenties, dressed stylishly, his dyed hair parted neatly, wearing earrings, a necklace, and rings. He had on a jacket over a T-shirt, giving off a trendy vibe.
Faced with this unexpected approach, Saki's mind went blank for a moment.
She hadn't expected anyone to talk to her, let alone an adult man dressed like this.
But seeing her fall silent, the young man didn't seem surprised. Not only did he show no displeasure, he even smiled gently.
"Miss? What's wrong?"
"Do you need that magazine? I've been searching for it for a while, but if you like it, I won't take it from you."
He spoke again, smoothly guiding the conversation.
Hearing this, Saki, still a bit flustered, quickly shook her head and apologized.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, I was just looking… I haven't decided to buy it."
"If you need it, you can take it."
Saki had rarely spoken to others growing up. Aside from her father, the person she'd spoken to most in her life was probably Hikari.
And even that wasn't much.
So now, facing this young man, she felt extremely nervous and restrained.
But hearing her response, the stylish young man waved his hand with a smile.
"Oh, come on, that won't do."
"If I just take it from such a cute girl, I'd definitely get bad karma."
Hearing that, Saki's eyes widened, and she became even more flustered.
Because in the past, when she wore thick glasses, heavy bangs, and dressed plainly, no one had ever called her cute.
So his compliment made her blush with embarrassment, but also gave her the impression that he might be a nice person.
Seeing her pure, slightly dazed face turn red, the young man's lips curled faintly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
With an easygoing tone, he raised his right hand, thumb pointing behind him, and smiled.
"I've been looking for this magazine for so long, and it just happens to be in your hands. That's fate, don't you think?"
"And you're so cute too, a rare kind of beauty."
"How about this, I'll buy the magazine. I'll pay for it, and you can read it first. Once you're done, just give it to me."
Hearing this, Saki grew even more embarrassed and nervous, even starting to stumble over her words.
"Eh… cute… I… no, that's not what I mean!"
"I mean… you don't have to!"
"Buying it for me… that's not right…"
"You… you can just buy it normally!"
She waved her hands repeatedly, trying to refuse his sudden kindness.
But the stylish young man interrupted her.
"No need to be polite."
"Being able to talk to a beautiful girl like you, this little bit of money is nothing, really."
"If I'd known I'd meet someone as cute as you because of this magazine, I would've bought every issue without fail."
If someone like Nogami Izumi, an experienced, sharp-tongued gyaru, heard such cheesy lines, she would probably just sneer and brush them off.
But Saki, who had barely received any attention growing up, had never heard such smooth talk before. She stood there, stunned.
And before she could process it, the young man continued, piling on praise like a tide.
"Oh, by the way, you read mon mon too? This kind of magazine is usually aimed at a small group of adults. Not many students read it."
"You've got great taste, Miss."
Hearing the continued compliments, Saki's face turned even redder. She felt both shy and embarrassed, her head starting to spin.
Because for someone like her, usually unnoticed and without friends, this kind of praise was incredibly effective.
For someone who rarely received affirmation, suddenly being praised so strongly naturally made her happy.
But she also knew the truth, she had only picked up the magazine at random.
She didn't understand fashion at all.
What she didn't know was that the young man, Hayato, didn't understand it either, he was just using it as an excuse to flatter her.
At this point, Saki felt a mix of quiet delight and deep awkwardness.
She stood there stiffly.
"Um… well…"
"The magazine… actually… it's not… not like that…"
"I mean… I don't usually read this kind of thing… so… anyway…"
She stammered, trying to explain that she didn't really understand any of this.
With the constant stream of praise, she was starting to feel uncomfortable.
But once again, before she could finish, Hayato cut in, looking at her with a surprised expression.
"Huh? Really?"
"When I saw you holding that magazine, I thought you must be a model."
"Because honestly, you're even prettier and cuter than the girls in it."
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