Chapter 123: Partings and Reunions

Back in Class 2-B at Munan High School.

As An He walked into the classroom, he ran straight into a familiar figure.

"Ha! Good morning, An He-kun, long time no see."

Following the voice, he saw Keiko Kitajima. However, to An He's surprise, her appearance was vastly different from before the new year. Her short yellow hair had been dyed black, and her school uniform jacket, which she used to habitually tie around her waist, was now worn properly. Her lower half still featured the combination of a pleated skirt and long socks, though the latter had been swapped from crew socks to black over-the-knee stockings.

Noticing An He’s scrutinizing gaze, a blush spread across Keiko Kitajima’s face. As if summoning her courage, she asked, "Do I... look strange like this?"

"Huh? Not at all. You look even cuter than before." An He chuckled as he replied.

Although he knew what kind of person this girl had been, since the school trip, he found it difficult to truly despise her, even if he couldn't say he liked her either. Shaking his head, An He stopped dwelling on it. His gaze swept across the classroom, quickly drawn to a petite figure in the corner, and he hurried over. As for Keiko Kitajima, she remained immersed in An He’s compliment.

In the corner, Reina Serizawa was yawning, looking listlessly out the window at the school playground in the morning light. It was the first day of the new semester, so she naturally had to show up. Because she had been so engrossed in drawing manga the night before, she hadn't slept until two in the morning, leaving her head feeling fuzzy.

"Phew, I'll just take a nap during class later," she thought.

Just as this crossed her mind, the corner of her eye caught a familiar figure walking toward her. Her drowsiness vanished instantly, and a look of delight appeared on her face as she exclaimed excitedly, "Good morning, An He-kun!"

"Good morning," An He replied with a smile. He sat down opposite Reina Serizawa and, without any hesitation, took her small hand resting on the desk, playing with it as he teased her. "Did you stay up late again, Reina? Your dark circles are starting to look like a panda's."

"Huh?" Startled by her hand being held, Reina Serizawa quickly glanced around. Seeing that no one had noticed, she let out a sigh of relief, then looked at An He with a hint of worry. "Is it really that obvious?"

"I'm just teasing." An He gave her chubby cheek a gentle pinch. She didn't resist, though her face turned crimson. After a moment, as if recalling something, she stood up, leaned toward An He’s ear, and whispered, "Xiao Wei won't be home this weekend."

It was a simple sentence, but Reina Serizawa seemed to have used up all her strength to say it. Without waiting for An He’s reaction, she dropped onto the desk and buried her face in her arms. However, the pink hue of her neck and the bright red of her ears clearly betrayed the girl's current state of mind—shy, secretly pleased, expectant, and excited.

An He was equally excited; after all, he hadn't forgotten what Reina Serizawa had said last time: if no one was home on the weekend, they could...

As time passed, the bell rang.

Ito Nobue, the homeroom teacher, was the last to enter the classroom. Unlike usual, she wasn't wearing her OL uniform, but had changed into casual home attire. She wore an orange turtleneck sweater paired with white over-the-knee shorts and high heels, leaving her fair, slender calves exposed to the air. Just looking at her gave one the impression of a friendly older sister next door.

On the podium, Ito Nobue scanned the students, her eyes lingering on a certain familiar figure in the corner before she said with a smile, "Good morning, everyone. Did you have a pleasant holiday?"

"Great!"
"Terrible!"
"Days without you, teacher, felt like years!"

The students' answers varied, the last one coming from a girl whom An He vaguely remembered having slept alongside during the school trip. *It seems she was the most excited one when fooling around with Ito Nobue back then. I suppose I should keep Reina away from her in the future,* An He thought.

Suddenly, a narrator’s voice echoed in his mind: *A very sharp instinct, but unfortunately, you guessed wrong. She is merely curious and longs for things that are big and soft. As for small ones, she already has them herself, so why would she envy others?*

"..."

The narrator’s comment left An He speechless. He instinctively looked at the girl who had spoken earlier. Well... she was about the same size as Reina Serizawa. It seemed there was no need to be on guard. An He let out a soft sigh of relief.

On the podium, Ito Nobue continued talking, sharing interesting stories from her time with the students and her own reflections on her few months as a teacher. She spoke with great sincerity, and anyone could see how much she had enjoyed these past few months. At first, the students laughed, but soon they realized something was off and raised their hands to ask, "Is Ms. Ito leaving?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the classroom fell silent. Almost every student stared longingly at the figure on the podium, hoping to hear a "no." Yet, reality often contradicts fantasy.

On the podium, Ito Nobue took a deep breath, smiled with a sense of relief, nodded, and said softly, "Yes, I will be leaving tomorrow."

"Huh? Why!" The students were instantly agitated. Some cheered, others wailed. An He recognized those who cheered—they were the same ones who had bullied Reina Serizawa. It seemed they hadn't been taught a lesson hard enough. Although he thought this, his heart felt heavy looking at the lonely figure on the podium.

The classroom remained silent, save for the voice of Ito Nobue. She was like a tireless lark, chatting incessantly about all the embarrassing and interesting things she had experienced since becoming a teacher. Joy washed away the sadness of parting, and laughter once again echoed in the classroom.

However, joy built on words can never last long.

The bell rang for the end of class. In an instant, the classroom fell into silence again. The atmosphere of parting weighed heavily on every student's heart. Seeing this, Ito Nobue sighed helplessly. She tapped the desk gently, and once everyone looked at her, she said softly, "I am simply changing places and working in a different way; it’s not as if I’m going to die today. There's no need for everyone to look so gloomy."

At this, she seemed to remember something. Her gaze shifted to An He in the corner, and the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily as she continued, "Parting is an unavoidable part of life. When we say goodbye to family, friends, or lovers, a strange feeling always arises in our hearts—perhaps it's reluctance, regret, loneliness, or gratitude. But you must also understand that parting is for the sake of a better reunion."

With that, Ito Nobue bowed slightly to the class and turned to leave.

In the corner, watching Ito Nobue’s back and recalling her final words, An He couldn't help but smile faintly. "Parting is for the sake of a better reunion"—this line was from *Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk*, and it was something An He had accidentally said to Ito Nobue once before. He hadn't expected her to remember it.

Shaking his head, An He let the thought go.

A day passed in the blink of an eye. The next day, two familiar figures were missing from the classroom. Ito Nobue had headed to the Fuyuan Shrine alone, and Reina Serizawa had chosen to stay home and draw manga again.

The new homeroom teacher was a woman in her forties. She was much gentler than Ito Nobue, but she always gave off a sense of distance. Perhaps it was the generation gap. Some girls lamented this, as not every homeroom teacher could join students in pillow fights or huddle under blankets to gossip about class secrets.

Over the next few days, with the absence of Reina Serizawa and the bickering with Ito Nobue, An He’s school life became boring, even leading him to consider dropping out.

Until... the morning of Friday.

The new homeroom teacher, Yuko Kondo, tapped the desk lightly. Once she had everyone's attention, she spoke, "Today, our class will welcome a new member."

As soon as she finished, the class grew excited. Someone immediately asked, "Is Ms. Ito coming back?"

"No, she isn't," Yuko Kondo replied with a helpless shake of her head. She had heard of the "Ms. Ito" the students spoke of, though she had never met her, and she couldn't fathom what kind of person could make students miss them so much.

Seeing the disappointment on the students' faces, Yuko Kondo stopped teasing and walked to the door, opening it.

The next moment, a petite figure with golden twin tails walked in. With snow-white skin, a face as delicate as a porcelain doll, and two slender legs wrapped in white stockings that looked as tempting as ice cream, she was like a princess. Facing everyone's gaze, she walked to the center of the podium, placed her hands in front of her, and bowed slightly. A clear, bell-like voice rang out in the ears of every student in the classroom:

"Hello everyone, my name is Saori Amamiya. I will be your classmate for the next year. I look forward to your guidance."