Today is the first day of school for various schools. Zhao Hao has just advanced from the second year of high school to the third year. Originally, the third-year students had already graduated, and new juniors would be welcomed in.
In the past, Zhao Hao often took leave from school for no reason, and when he did, it would be for ten days, half a month, or even more than a month. If it weren't for his perfect scores in every subject, he wouldn't have been able to take those leaves at all.
The teachers had asked Zhao Hao why he took leave, but he had casually brushed them off with excuses. No one would have guessed that he took leave for intense training; even if he told them, few would believe it.
Just a few steps out of his front door, Zhao Hao saw the door next door open, and a girl in a school uniform walked out. Her jacket was slightly different from the boys', and instead of a tie, she wore a blue bow.
Zhao Hao's pants were black, while the girl's outfit was a black skirt that reached her thighs. As for the type of socks, it was up to her; some wore white stockings, some wore knee-high socks, and others went bare-legged.
The girl in front of him wore black thigh-high socks, and her long, slender legs paired with the black made one wonder what thoughts a pervert might have if they saw her.
However, this had no effect on Zhao Hao. He wasn't someone who was obsessed with looks; whether someone was beautiful or not, to him, they were just people. If someone was so mesmerized by a beauty that they couldn't move, that was just pathetic.
"Are you also from Tokyo Private High School?"
Zhao Hao looked at the girl's uniform; it was indeed the girls' uniform from Tokyo Private High School, the same school he attended.
"Senior Zhao Hao, I've heard a lot about you."
Xue Zhixia Xue Nai approached Zhao Hao with a leather backpack in one hand. Her delicate features, fair skin, and long black hair made her look exceptionally stunning, though her flat chest was a bit of a disappointment.
Zhao Hao looked directly at Xue Zhixia Xue Nai. He didn't know her, so he asked, "Who are you?"
As for why he didn't ask how she knew him, it was because Zhao Hao was aware of his own reputation. His perfect scores made him the top student, akin to a scholar, and perfect scores were rare.
Tokyo Private High School was also quite famous, and with Zhao Hao's excellence, he was one of the school's two top students. He didn't know who had given him that title, but in this city, many of his peers knew who he was.
"Xue Zhixia Xue Nai, I just returned from abroad not long ago and officially transferred to the second year of Tokyo Private High School today, the same school as you, Senior Zhao Hao."
Zhao Hao glanced at the nearby bungalow and said, "You must have moved here not long ago either."
Xue Zhixia Xue Nai's expression was always cool and calm. She nodded and said, "That's right. I heard you lived here, so I specifically moved here."
Xue Zhixia Xue Nai had attended middle school abroad and returned to the country this year for her second year of high school. After deliberately searching, she learned that Zhao Hao lived here, and it was indeed not far from the school.
"Because of me? Do we know each other?"
Zhao Hao's expression remained unchanged. He felt strange about this "beautiful girl who came to his door." The name Xue Zhixia Xue Nai wasn't unfamiliar to him; he had seen her as a protagonist in an anime in his past life, but he couldn't recall knowing her before this.
But even if she was the protagonist of some slice-of-life anime, so what? He wouldn't revolve around her.
Xue Zhixia Xue Nai was somewhat prepared, but knowing that Zhao Hao didn't remember her still made her feel a bit uncomfortable. However, she calmly said, "Of course, even though it has been eight years, I still remember you."
"Eight years?"
Zhao Hao raised an eyebrow, surprised that this woman had known him eight years ago. However, he didn't have any particular impression, indicating that they had merely crossed paths. With such an ordinary relationship, was it necessary to remember for eight years? Or had he bullied her back then? In any case, Zhao Hao didn't remember.
Seeing that Zhao Hao couldn't recall, Xue Zhixia Xue Nai wasn't angry. She brushed her hair away from her face, which had been blown by the wind, and said, "You don't remember? Well, after all, it's been so many years. Let's walk and talk."
Then Xue Zhixia Xue Nai began to recount her relationship with Zhao Hao from eight years ago, starting her memories.
It was a summer back then when Zhao Hao's parents enrolled him in a summer camp. The summer camp was organized by professional teachers for children aged seven to twelve to engage in outdoor activities with educational significance.
During the summer camp, students were allowed to roam freely nearby. Zhao Hao initially didn't want to join the camp, but his parents, thinking he was mature for his age, forced him into the activity when he was ten.
With an adult mindset, how could Zhao Hao play with a bunch of little kids? So, during the free activity time, he left the group to enjoy the scenery alone.
At that time, the eight-year-old Xue Zhixia Xue Nai was also among them. Being a child, she chased a butterfly away from the summer camp's location and eventually got lost. The weather, which had been clear, suddenly turned cloudy, and it started to rain.
When Xue Zhixia Xue Nai came to her senses, she found herself all alone, terrified and lost. With the rain pouring down, she stumbled and scraped her knees, causing them to bleed. So, she sat under a tree and cried her heart out.
Zhao Hao was also nearby, seeking shelter from the rain. Upon hearing a child's cries, he jogged over and found a little girl crying and wiping her tears.
Xue Zhixia Xue Nai glanced at Zhao Hao and continued to cry. Zhao Hao frowned, hands in his pockets, and said, "What's with that expression and those tears? Can crying save you? Can crying solve problems? Tears only show your helplessness. Stand up; at any time, the only one you can rely on is yourself. Expecting help from others is just a sign of weakness. When faced with problems, you can't just sit and wait."
Xue Zhixia Xue Nai was stunned by what she heard, and she felt a surge of determination. As she locked eyes with Zhao Hao, she truly stood up despite the pain and told herself not to cry, not to let others look down on her.
Eventually, after half an hour of rain, Zhao Hao carried Xue Zhixia Xue Nai back to the group.
"Since that time, I have kept your words in my heart. No matter how difficult things get, I never sit idly by or cry again, because tears are just proof of weakness."
Xue Zhixia Xue Nai calmly finished speaking. Even though she had a tough time in school, often being pranked by other immature girls due to her looks, she resolved it in her own way.
"Really? I didn't expect that girl from back then to be you."
After hearing Xue Zhixia Xue Nai's words, Zhao Hao recalled that there indeed was such an incident. However, it had been eight years, and that little girl was Xue Zhixia Xue Nai. If she hadn't brought it up now, he might never have remembered it.
After all, this experience was just a trivial matter in his long life, something he had never thought much about. Yet this girl had remembered it for eight years; perhaps his words held significant meaning for her.
As they talked, they had already reached a street not far from the school, where many students in uniforms were walking, along with some breakfast stalls.
Zhao Hao bought two meat buns from a bun shop. Although he had already eaten breakfast around four, after several hours of exercise, buying two buns was just a way to replenish himself.
……
Seeking flowers and evaluation tickets.