"Nozomi-neechan, how is it? Do I look strange anywhere?"
Yoshino, dressed in her Otonokizaka Academy uniform, looked nervously at Toujou Nozomi.
She fidgeted all over, as if there were thorns on her uniform.
"Hmm~" Toujou Nozomi carefully observed Yoshino in her Otonokizaka Academy uniform.
Otonokizaka Academy's uniform looked even more radiant, accentuated by Yoshino's delicate little face.
But the most important thing wasn't that; it was the pair of white over-the-knee socks Yoshino wore, which gave her an indescribable allure.
If Toujou Nozomi had to give a compliment, it would be: Excellent. (??????)?
"Don't worry, Yoshino. You're very cute right now, and there's nothing strange about you."
Toujou Nozomi gently stroked Yoshino's little head. While enjoying Toujou Nozomi's tenderness, her nervous and uneasy feelings gradually relaxed.
"Remember to get along well with your classmates later, okay? Yoshino is so amazing, there's no way she'll have any problems, right?"
To be honest, yesterday's exam really startled Toujou Nozomi.
To help Yoshino become a student at Otonokizaka Academy, Toujou Nozomi came to the school for the entrance examination.
She was a little worried if Yoshino would have any problems during the exam.
Although Yoshino kept emphasizing that she was very good at studying and there was nothing to worry about.
It turned out that Yoshino's scores were all excellent, even in the most difficult Chinese subject, she got full marks.
"I never thought our Yoshino was such a straight-A student."
This was Toujou Nozomi's first remark after learning the results.
You really can't judge a book by its cover; the Little Loli was actually an academic ace.
Yoshino indicated that, after receiving education in China, she had done these kinds of questions countless times during her junior high school years.
And Chinese is difficult? Don't joke around. If she didn't get an excellent grade in Chinese, she'd accept any punishment.
However, Yoshino would never say such a thing aloud.
After parting ways with Toujou Nozomi, Yoshino was led by the teacher to the classroom door. The teacher asked Yoshino to wait outside for a moment and then entered the classroom first, saying she needed to speak with the classmates first.
"Yoshino, are you very nervous?" Shiina, who had been pretending to be a doll, asked at this moment.
"Mm! Yoshino. Honoka and the others are inside. I feel so excited, but also so nervous."
The living Empress Honoka! I wonder if I can be her friend?
"Yeah~ I know. Energetic Honoka, Cute Kotori, and Expressive Umi~ The Land, Sea, and Air combination. Hehehe~ I really don't know why she came up with the name 'Land, Sea, and Air' when she chose the group name back then."
That's enough, really. Is the Self-Defense Forces run by your family or something?
"But isn't that just Honoka? The spirit of doing whatever she wants, and always attracting others, isn't she as dazzling as the sun?"
Thinking of Empress Honoka, who made the sky clear with just one sentence at the beginning of the second season, I decisively bowed down to her.
"But she still caused a lot of trouble for others, didn't she?" Shiina said pointedly.
"Uh, I can't refute that." She really did cause quite a bit of trouble for people.
"Alright, Classmate Shikino. You can come in now!" The teacher's voice suddenly came.
"I'm going in. Go, Yoshino, go."
"Mm! I'll do my best."
I'm about to see Empress Honoka. What should I do? My heart is pounding so fast.
Pushing the door open, I walked in a bit nervously. The classmates in the class couldn't help but be stunned when they saw Yoshino appear.
Even the usually serious Sonoda Umi was taken aback when she saw Yoshino.
Seeing the stunned expressions on the girls in the class, a blush appeared on Yoshino's face.
However, Yoshino quickly adjusted and came to the podium to face her classmates.
"U-um, my name is Yoshino. I-if possible, I hope I can be friends with everyone. Please take care of me." She finished with a bow, looking nervously at the female classmates.
...*Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap*.
I don't know who started clapping first, but gradually the applause grew louder, and the classmates looked at Yoshino with shining eyes.
"Alright, Classmate Shikino, you can sit behind Classmate Kousaka. There's an empty seat there."
"Eh?" Behind Empress Honoka?
"Is there a problem, Classmate Shikino?"
"N-nothing, teacher."
I was a little excited; I was actually arranged to sit behind Empress Honoka.
"Alright, then go sit down. Now we'll start class. Everyone, take out your textbooks..."
After sitting down in my seat, my mind still hadn't fully recovered. What was happening now?
I felt someone touching my face. I turned my head and saw Shiina touching my cheek.
I nodded without speaking, as class was currently in session. But knowing that one glance was enough for now.
Isn't this what she had always been looking forward to? She didn't even sleep well last night because of this... though it didn't really matter if she didn't sleep well.
When the teacher dismissed class, Kousaka Honoka, who was sitting in front, turned around and looked at Yoshino with sparkling eyes.
"You're called Yoshino, right? I'm Kousaka Honoka~ Can we be friends?"
As she spoke, Kousaka Honoka's face slowly leaned closer to Yoshino.
Yoshino felt like she could already smell Kousaka Honoka's scent, which made Yoshino's little face flush red and feel dizzy.
Seeing Yoshino's adorable blushing face, Kousaka Honoka couldn't help but reach out and pinch Yoshino's soft little cheek. Feeling the softness in her hand, her heart was touched.
"Honoka, that's very rude. Can't you see she's a bit overwhelmed?"
Just as Kousaka Honoka was about to do something more, a stern voice came.
A girl with blue hair reaching her waist spoke to Kousaka Honoka with displeasure, and also took her hand off Yoshino's face.
"It's very rude to act like this towards someone you're meeting for the first time, Honoka. Why don't you ever think about other people's feelings first?"
"Well, well, well~ Classmate Shikino is so cute, so it's understandable that Little Umi would act this way, isn't it?"
Just as Sonoda Umi was about to lecture Kousaka Honoka, a gentle and lovely voice came, tinged with persuasion.
"She's as delicate as a doll, isn't she? I really didn't expect it."
Minami Kotori came before Shiina, smiling as she looked at the somewhat bewildered Yoshino, her affection growing deeper in her heart.
"You're really cute, Classmate Shikino. I'm Minami Kotori, can I be friends with you?"
Patting Yoshino's head, Minami Kotori said with a hint of anticipation.
'Why do so many people like to pat Yoshino's head?' Yoshino wondered, puzzled.
(Fuhai: Because you're a Little Loli, Yoshino.)
"I am Sonoda Umi, and I grew up with Kotori and Honoka as childhood friends. If it's possible, we'd like to be friends with you. Can we?"
Sonoda Umi said to Yoshino very seriously, with a faint hint of anticipation within her seriousness.
'Wow wow wow~ What should I do? She's so serious, but isn't that just her personality? A girl who is meticulous in etiquette and law, a paragon of strictness with herself and others. She truly lives up to such praise.'
"Little Umi, don't be like that. You're scaring her." Minami Kotori looked at Sonoda Umi with a wry smile, gesturing towards the bewildered Yoshino, and explained helplessly.
"I-I'm sorry." Realizing her mistake, Sonoda Umi apologized, a little red-faced.
Kousaka Honoka, who had just been scolded, also seized the opportunity to start talking about Sonoda Umi, and the trio's daily routine began again.
'It feels really pleasant.'
Yoshino and Shiina watched the bickering Kousaka Honoka and Sonoda Umi.
Although it looked like they were arguing, they were childhood friends who had grown up together, and no one understood her better than the other.
"W-we are happy to be friends with you. Classmate Kousaka, Classmate Sonoda, and Classmate Minami."
This must be my next step in growth, right, Shiina?