Nakajima Saki wore a green earring on her left ear today.
Her hair wasn't straight like it was on the day she first entered school—she had it curled into large waves, and after letting it down, one side was tucked behind her ear, revealing her cheek.
Her backpack had been changed to a cartoon bear style, and her nails were painted green.
How should I put it... a sense of déjà vu, very similar to a certain someone.
That's right, Nakajima Saki did it on purpose.
Everyone wore the uniform navy-blue Western-style school uniform and pleated skirts. This didn't set her apart from the other girls.
For Nakajima Saki, who came from a merchant family, she adhered to her father's teachings since childhood... that is, whoever is more popular and good-looking, she should just learn from them. Then, frame the other person for plagiarism.
Hmm, I feel like I've heard this method somewhere before.
Anyway, Nakajima Saki came to school looking beautiful today.
"Today's outfit... what was her name again?"
Aki Tomoya pushed his glasses; he didn't even recognize all the girls in class. Today, this curly-haired girl's outfit indeed caught his eye.
Normally, he basically wouldn't notice 3D girls.
"Are you blind?" Eriri looked up from her desk, giving him a dead-fish stare. "Can't you tell she's imitating Tsukisa's look?"
Aki Tomoya thought for a moment and realized: "I see... but imitation is the first step, right? Why are you so angry?"
"For a girl, this is obviously a provocation!"
Provocation?
Aki Tomoya was puzzled: "Isn't wearing the same clothes a common thing?"
"Wearing the same clothes? Even the style of her earrings and wearing them on the left instead of the right is exactly the same as Tsukisa's. Do you think it's a coincidence?" Eriri gritted her teeth, her blue eyes narrowing into slits as she glared fiercely at Nakajima Saki.
The other party walked in calmly, chatting and laughing, beginning her day of social life.
"Speaking of which, has your attitude toward me been getting more and more disrespectful lately?"
"Is it just my imagination?"
Aki Tomoya felt a bit strange. Eriri, although she would often snap at him, usually had limits. Lately... it was too strange?
Did I do something bad?
Or...?
Aki Tomoya looked the girl up and down.
Eriri ignored him, yawned, and waved at Sen Getsusa, who had just entered the class.
"Hi."
"Good morning, Sparkly. Eh?" Sen Getsusa put down her backpack, looked at Aki Tomoya, then at Eriri: "Don't tell me, Eriri has already given the dish—"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
The blonde twintails bounced right off the chair!
"Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it!!"
She covered Sen Getsusa's mouth with her small hand and dragged her out of the classroom, her face stiff as she faced the gazes that turned toward them. "Ahahaha, hahaha. It's nothing, ahahaha, it's fine. I'm just chatting with Tsukisa-chan... we're going to chat..."
Bang.
The door closed.
"Are you crazy?"
Eriri puffed out her cheeks.
"What, you haven't given it to Tomiya yet?" Sen Getsusa sighed. The two of them stopped in the hallway, finding a window to lean on and chat.
Occasionally, cherry blossom petals were blown in by the wind, scattering in the hallway.
"I haven't even decided to make it yet!" Eriri leaned out of the window defiantly, trying to reach out and catch the floating pink petals.
As she spoke, her eyes inconspicuously glanced toward Sen Getsusa. A few seconds later, she immediately looked away, pretending to look into the distance.
"Haven't decided yet?"
Sen Getsusa teased with a giggle: "You even bought such a big eggplant, and you still haven't decided? Then what did you buy the eggplant for..."
"Stop making dirty jokes! I'm talking to you about something serious!!"
Eriri tentatively tapped the back of Sen Getsusa's hand with her finger and gently held her hand—she looked up, and the other party was looking at her with a puzzled face.
"What's wrong?" Sen Getsusa looked at her hand. "Do you need my permission to hold hands now?"
Eriri held Sen Getsusa's hand without answering... I'm just doing an experiment.
The two leaned by the window, and soon, the girl's face began to flush.
Sen Getsusa blinked: "So, Eriri called me out just to look at cherry blossoms and hold hands?"
"I-I did not! I was just afraid you'd say something you shouldn't in class... well." She deflated, looking at Sen Getsusa dejectedly, and let go of her hand.
What's wrong?
Eriri pursed her lips and shook her head: "That Nakajima girl is imitating you."
Two girls leaned by the window, one voluptuous and mature, the other quiet and cute. In this beautiful scenery, there was only one person who didn't like it.
Even angry.
Hiding behind the corner, Yuno Gasai, with half her face exposed, stared intently at Eriri. Her hands were behind her back, and the clicking sound rose and fell continuously, sounding very irritating.
It was a utility knife.
The sharp blade was pushed out by the girl's thumb, slid in, pushed out, and slid in.
She looked expressionlessly at Eriri, who was chatting and laughing with Sen Getsusa, her palm gripping tighter... "Hey, Nakajima, today's outfit is great!"
"But, isn't it too similar?"
During the break, several girls gathered together, whispering and discussing outfits, boys and girls, and the recent big event—
"The Cultural Festival, Nakajima, you have to participate, right?"
"You're really beautiful today!"
Nakajima Saki glanced proudly at Sen Getsusa and found that the other party hadn't noticed this side. She waved her hand at the girls beside her, her words revealing a small secret.
"I've always dressed like this. On the first day of school, I found someone dressed exactly like me... it gave me quite a shock!"
Her turquoise nails lightly tapped on the table: "Maybe it's because my homepage is too popular? Lately, many people have been leaving messages asking me about my outfit style."
"It's normal to be copied, so don't hate others..."
As they chatted with pointed implications, several gazes swept over Tsukisa's face. Nakajima Saki, looking worried, took the hand of the girl beside her.
"What? So she's your fan?"
The surrounding area began to fill with chatter.
"Not necessarily... I'm just saying, I've been dressing like this for a long time..."
Nakajima Saki's denial was not firm. With a hesitant expression, she advised: "In short, even if someone gets advice from me, they still have to rely on their own efforts!"
"And, maybe it's just a coincidence?" The girl's weak expression made the other girls around her filled with righteous indignation, speaking up to defend her.
"It can't be a coincidence, how disgusting!"
"Yeah, to plagiarize Nakajima's style and then deliberately wear the same outfit as you at the start of school."
A few boys carrying basketballs wandered around the classroom, looking completely bewildered.
They didn't understand what these girls were talking about at all.
Sen Getsusa sighed.
She pushed back her chair, stood up, and walked toward Nakajima Saki.
-------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!