"I will help you ge everyone's impression of you," Onodera said, saying those words as if they were a decration.

  " I have a matcha and also anmitsu?"

  "Yes."

  As the waitress wrote his order, Onodera's gaze remained fixed on Ishigami, her silence forbidding. She had made a grand statement, yet this guy was more ied in the sweets.

  At that moment, they went to a Japanese sweets restauraheir school. After they met, they went directly somewhere for their meeting, and this shop caught his eye as it was his first time trying Japanese sweets.

  As someoh a sweet to would be impossible for him to ighis bsp;

  "By the way, are you really treating me, Onedera-san?"

  heless, it surprised him that she was going to treat him, but as she said so, he wouldn't hesitate.

  "Yeah, just order what you want."

  Most of the students in their school were wealthy and prised 1% of the high-iizens. Naturally, Onodera's parents were also part of such citizens, and as the first daughter of the jewelry pany owner, it was impossible for her to be poor, so treating Ishigami to this sweet shop was nothing for her.

  "Thanks." Ishigami thanked Onodera and then asked, "By the way, have you tried a Japanese sweet Onodera-san?"

  "Now that you mention it, I haven't." When she heard such a question, Onodera realized that she hadn't tried Japanese sweets.

  "Then, you should make an order."

  "What did you order?"

  "Anmitsu and matcha."

  "Are they good?"

  "I am not sure. I just followed the reendation since, like you, I have ried the Japanese sweet."

  "..." Onodera looked at Ishigami speechlessly, realizing how much guts this guy had. Trying something new wasn't easy for some people, and they needed a lot of time to make a small decision, but naturally, she wasn't one of those people. "Then, I will order the same, but I will get a chocote ice cream."

  After all, there was something that she wao discuss with Ishigami, which was more important than a mere sweet!

  Still, she didn't miing a sweet or tw their versation.

  "By the way, I am sorry for fetting to chat with you on LINE before." heless, Ishigami apologized as he had fotten to remind Onodera when he finished with his problems.

  "No, it's fine." Onodera shook her head and asked, "Is the student cil busy?" Her expression was better when she heard Ishigami's apology; then, she asked whether she had caused him trouble by inviting him so suddenly.

  "It's fihere is some work, but it isn't something that I 't handle."

  While there were many things that Ishigami wao do, all of those things could be pushed aside for a while.

  "Once again, I am sorry." Onodera apologized for both taking his time when he was busy and for mog him during css.

  "Don't apologize repeatedly. It's fine. You have eveed me to sweets, too."

  Probably because it was a habit of every person in this try to apologize repeatedly, Ishigami also uood Onodera's a.

  "Thanks." Onodera smiled, and then Ishigami asked, "So, what is it again? Do you want to help me?"

  "Yes!" Hearing his question, she nodded repeatedly. "I want to help you!"

  "For?"

  "So, your impression on everyone will ge! You want to ge, right? I will help you!"

  Ishigami looked at this excited girl strangely and asked, "Why?"

  "....."

  Onodera was stunned and fell into silence for a while, but she also uood that her a was weird in Ishigami's eyes. She had previously mocked him, and after all of that, she told him that she wao help him.

  If he didn't think of her as a strange girl, then it was impossible.

  Or rather, did she appear creepy in his eyes?

  However—

  "I... don't know why, but I see that you really want to ge. While I know you might not believe me, especially when I hurt you with my mean words... I regret my as and words toward you. Maybe it might be just satisfa, or maybe because I just want to apologize, but believe me, I just want to help you..."

  Onodera wasn't sure what kind of expressions when she said all of that, but her expressions were so mixed with many. Frankly, she even wondered why she even took a lot of trouble to help him.

  Was it due to the guilt in her heart?

  Or was it due to his vi of wishing to ge, which he had shown her previously?

  Unlike her, who was so childish, she listeo the rumors and then looked down on the people in the rumors as if she were a higher being than them.

  When she saw his eyes, who just calmly looked at her and told her "thank" after she said such mean things, she felt like... she had woken up. It was like cold water oured on her head.

  It might be te ht even be seen as creepy by him, but even so, Onodera wao help him.

  "Onedera-san."

  "Ye-Yes."

  After saying all of that, it would be impossible for Onodera not to be nervous and uo meet his eyes, but his gentle voiehow made her gain ce a his eyes timidly.

  "Thank you."

  "Then..."

  "But I am sorry. You don't have to help me."

  "Eh?! Why?!" Onodera was stunned by his ued answer. She thought that he would agree, yet why did he reject her?

  "Let's say you want to help me; what will you do?" Ishigami asked while looking at Onedera in doubt.

  "Er..." Ohought for a while and said, "I will tell you that you have ged, and you are not like in the rumor to everyone?"

  "..."

  "...what? Why are you in silence like that?" Onodera felt nervous somehow, w whether she had said something wrong.

  However, Ishigami wasn't in a hurry to answer Onondera's question as their order came.

  "Your order is ready."

  "Thanks." Ishigami thahe waitress politely, to which she responded with a cute smile.

  "...." Onodera was in silehen s the waitress, who seemed to be trying to seduce Ishigami. "What bad service... is she a waitress or a hostess?"

  "She did a good job. Her smile healed me from your thoughtless help."

  "Huh? What's wrong with my help?"

  Watg her fusion, Ishigami sighed helplessly and said, "Let's say that you told them that; what will their response be?"

  "Er..." Ohought for a while, seemingly fused, so Ishigami added, "Do you think they will nod and agree with you?"

  "..." Onodera.

  "Instead of having their opinion of me ge, I seem like a child who 't join the group and just begging to join with your help. While they might smile outwardly, what will they think inwardly?"

  "....."

  Onodera's EQ wasn't low, especially when she had many friends, so she uood his words clearly. While they might smile and wele Ishigami due to her words, inwardly, they disdained him and even talked behind his back. Instead of helping him, she would make his situation worse.

  "Moreover, I want to ge not because of everyo is for myself. I don't need anyone's aowledgment to show that I am better and I have ged."

  If one wao ge due to everyone's aowledgment, Ishigami would snort, thinking that it was a shitty reason to ge!

  Ishigami didn't want everyone's aowledgment as he didn't want to bee Hokage, but then again, he also had to admit that his past was as horrible as Uzumaki Naruto's. However, unlike Naruto, he wasn't so desperate, and his status wasn't as sensitive as Naruto, whose status was parable to a nuclear on.

  Moreover, instead of begging those people, he wahem tret him as they had alienated him.

  Still, his answer made Onodera fall into a daze, thinking that Ishigami really had ged, and this ge made her uo look away from him.

  "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

  "No..." Onodera shook her head softly, feeling slightly hot on her face, and said, "But you really have ged."

  Or rather, did she just know him better?

  She wao know him better somehow.

  "Is it something bad?"

  "No, it's good."

  "Then, go eat. The i your anmitsu will melt if you do it soon."

  "Ah, why didn't you tell me?!"

  "I just told yht?"

  As Onodera pouted, she scooped the Earl Grey ice cream on her anmitsu. 'It's sweet, 'she thought, but somehow, not only her to also the sweetness also remained within her heart.