After Tamaki Mari fished out the information that Jhin was staying in his room alone, Shirase Kobuchizawa plucked up the courage to find him and express her gratitude.
"U-U-U-Um, that!" Shirase Kobuchizawa was so nervous she didn't dare breathe loudly. Her tongue seemed tied in knots, stammering for a long while before she could squeeze out two words, her fair face turning red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Just say it! You can leave once you say thank you, so just hurry up and say it!
"Kobuchizawa-san, calm down a bit. There's no need to be so nervous." Jhin pressed his hands downward, signaling Shirase Kobuchizawa to relax.
Is Shirase Kobuchizawa going to confess to Master? But she should have only met Master twice, right?
Is this the 'love at first sight' found in TV dramas?
"Sip~" Nymph, having activated her Stealth and Anti-Cognition System, silently lifted her teacup and took a sip. Filled with curiosity, she continued to observe Shirase Kobuchizawa to see what she would do next.
The door to their room was pushed open a crack. Three pairs of big eyes were peeking through the gap at the situation inside, not forgetting to whisper their opinions to one another.
"Why does Shirase always mess up at critical moments!"
"That's just her personality. She looks cold on the outside, but she's actually unexpectedly airheaded."
"Mari, I don't think you're any better than Shirase."
"Hinata, what do you mean by that? I'm very attentive!"
"Shh, you two, stop arguing. Be careful or we'll get caught."
"Yuzuki is right. Let's keep watching. If things go wrong, we'll go in to support Shirase."
Under Jhin's peaceful gaze, Shirase Kobuchizawa gradually calmed down. She rearranged the hair on her forehead, her wine-red eyes trembling slightly. She pursed her lips and spoke in a tone filled with gratitude: "Jhin, thank you so much for letting us join this Antarctic scientific expedition."
"No need to thank me. This was originally within my capabilities. If I can help, I will."
Jhin's answer exceeded Shirase Kobuchizawa's expectations. Listening to his tone, it was as if he knew about her circumstances.
Seeing the confused look on her face, Jhin asked her, "Do you know who sponsored the first Antarctic expedition?"
"I don't know." Shirase Kobuchizawa shook her head. She was only twelve years old back then. Before her mother went missing, she naturally wouldn't have paid attention to such news.
"That company is also mine."
"!?" A cute and brief gasp came from outside the door.
Jhin ignored it for the time being and continued to explain, "So I am very clear that you are the daughter of that Takako Kobuchizawa, and I am equally clear about your dream. Even if you guys hadn't successfully completed the mission for this Antarctic trip, I would have thought of a way to get you into the Antarctic Exploration Team."
At the mention of her sad past, Shirase Kobuchizawa sniffled hard. She wouldn't unreasonably resent Jhin's decision to sponsor the Antarctic Exploration Team back then. Even without his sponsorship, her mother and the other team members would have found another sponsor to go to Antarctica. That was her mother's dream; no one could have stopped it.
Jhin's first sponsorship helped her mother fulfill her dream of going to Antarctica. His second sponsorship realized the wish of her, the daughter. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was the benefactor of the Kobuchizawa family.
Shirase Kobuchizawa bent her waist ninety degrees and bowed to Jhin. "Really! Really! Thank you very much!"
"Jhin really is a huge good person."
"Yeah, I didn't expect him to have that kind of connection with Shirase."
"Mari, I think the way you phrased that could easily cause misunderstandings."
"Is that so? Then I'll be careful next time."
"Hey, you three who have been eavesdropping over there—hurry up and take Kobuchizawa-san back to her room. I think she's about to burst into tears!"
"Wah!"
The three peeping toms met Jhin's direct gaze. Miyake Hinata gave a dry laugh and pushed open the door: "We've been discovered..."
Jhin pointed to the light coming from the hallway outside. "With three shadows that big on the door, did you guys actually think you were hiding well?"
Shirase Kobuchizawa was sniffling vigorously like a vacuum cleaner switching on and off. She tried hard not to cry in front of Jhin, but her legs refused to listen to her commands, feeling as heavy as if they were rooted to the tatami mats.
Tamaki Mari ran over anxiously, clamping Shirase under her armpit like a large mannequin. "Yuzuki! Come help me! Hinata, we'll take Shirase back first, we'll leave the rest to you."
"Huh? Hey... you guys..."
Before Miyake Hinata could react, Tamaki Mari had unilaterally decided to leave her behind to clean up the mess. The hand she had raised slowly lowered as she looked awkwardly at Jhin.
I want to go back together too! Mari, you idiot!
Despite her many internal complaints, Miyake Hinata kept a smile on her face, preparing to say a couple of words of thanks before bolting. She didn't have much experience interacting with boys her age, let alone the fact that Jhin was the great benefactor who allowed them to join the Antarctic Exploration Team.
Jhin had previously entertained the idea of having Miyake Hinata transfer to Mihama Academy. There was no better day than today; since she was here, mentioning it to her in advance would work too.
"Miyake-san, I wonder if you have any thoughts about transferring to Mihama Academy?"
"Eh?"
Miyake Hinata stared blankly at Jhin, who was revealing a gentle smile. This boy seemed to not only know about Shirase's affairs but was equally knowledgeable about her own.
"I know this request is sudden, but you don't need to rush to give me a reply. Take this school brochure back and look at it. You can give me an answer after this Antarctic trip ends."
Miyake Hinata mechanically accepted the brochure and mechanically walked back to their room. Her brain was in such chaos that she couldn't even remember how she left Jhin's room.
"Eh? Hinata, what are you holding in your hand?"
Her companions gathered around curiously. Miyake Hinata bit her lower lip, her expression complex. "This is a brochure for Mihama Academy."
Inside the room.
Kato Megumi put down the teacup in her hand. She blinked her big eyes and circled Jhin several times, yet she still hadn't discovered where that brochure had been hidden earlier.
"Megumi, why are you looking at me so strangely? Is there something stuck on me?"
"Jhin, are you also a magician?"
Jhin laughed involuntarily. "So that's what you're concerned about. I'm not telling you. It's very important for a boy to maintain a sense of mystery."
"How stingy." Kato Megumi couldn't find it, and Jhin wasn't willing to say, so she simply gave up, sitting back down at the tea table to drink her tea.
"I say, you two were just sitting in the room enjoying the show—why didn't you come out and help me?" Jhin sat down next to Nymph and drank the tea in her cup in one gulp.
Kato Megumi's fair fingertips rubbed against the rough surface of the teacup. She tilted her head, slightly puzzled. "Jhin didn't encounter any problems just now, did he? If anything, you did something quite handsome."
"Brother, I think so too."
"I think you guys just got addicted to watching from the sidelines while invisible."
Jhin wasn't going to be brushed off by a few words. He untied Nymph's twin tails and messed her hair into a bird's nest. However, she remained completely unmoved, so Jhin had to suffer the consequences of his own actions and re-tie her hair for her.
Seeing this, Kato Megumi secretly smiled in her heart.
____
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