Chapter 101 Now It's Just Beginning.

In various senses, it was another day full of ups and downs, and it came to an end amidst the noise of the students in Class D.

After school, as Kushida Kikyou was taken away by other friends, Fang Li was able to walk back to the dormitory together with Sakura Airi.

"This is really outrageous..."

"Sorry, sorry."

On the way back to the dormitory, Sakura Airi, unusually, kept complaining to Fang Li, who could only laugh and apologize repeatedly.

From Sakura Airi's somewhat exhausted expression, it could be seen that she had indeed had a harder day than usual.

But there was nothing she could do about it.

For Sakura Airi, who had communication difficulties, being surrounded by various people all day long was truly terrifying.

This girl who couldn't even look others in the eye when speaking, was unexpectedly caught up in various torrents today. She was surrounded by the chatter of the girls in the class, and she must have been feeling dizzy and overwhelmed, right?

And if communication between the same sex was like this, it would be even more difficult with the opposite sex.

The malicious boys had several attempts to approach Sakura Airi today, especially Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki, whose intentions were particularly obvious. They had excited and eager expressions, much like that obsessive fan who worked at the electronic store, and they genuinely scared Sakura Airi.

As a result, towards the end, Sakura Airi was almost unable to bear it. Every time class ended, she would escape and disappear, probably hiding in the restroom.

Fang Li was quite helpless about this situation.

"I was hoping that at least girls would initiate conversations with you, which might help you adapt a little. I didn't expect you to run away," Fang Li said with a hint of amusement. "You were quite lively and cheerful when you were acting as an idol, right?"

Therefore, Fang Li had always believed that Sakura Airi wasn't inherently unsociable, just a bit timid.

But it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Well... that's the expression I can only put on in front of a camera."

Sakura Airi said with a tinge of self-reproach.

It was said that excellent idols could naturally display their best expressions and sides in front of the camera.

Sakura Airi probably possessed that talent, right?

Even though she was timid and shy, as soon as she faced the camera, she could immediately put on her best expression.

This made Fang Li slightly interested in Sakura Airi's work.

"How did you manage the shoots before?" Fang Li looked at Sakura Airi and asked, "You're so shy, were you able to follow the photographer and staff's instructions properly?"

"Well..." Sakura Airi tilted her head and said with a troubled expression, "At the beginning, I mostly did self-photography. It wasn't until I appeared on the magazine cover that I was arranged for specific shooting processes, but even then, the shoots didn't go smoothly."

According to what Sakura Airi said, each shoot required her to spend several times more time than others. The company had to specially assign female photographers for her and minimize the number of staff members. It was truly mentally and physically demanding.

However, even with all that, the initial shoots still didn't go well. No matter what they tried, they couldn't capture satisfactory photos. It was only later, as Sakura Airi became more familiar with the photographers and staff, that she managed to alleviate some of the nervousness.

"And, I gradually began to discover some tricks for the shoots," Sakura Airi said, looking embarrassed. "Like emptying my mind to erase unnecessary emotions, ignoring everyone around me, and treating the shooting scene as my own room. Once I pretended that everyone else didn't exist, I could bear it a little."

Unfortunately, even with these methods, Sakura Airi eventually reached her limit and decided to stop photography.

In other words, Sakura Airi had only a few opportunities to shoot magazine covers, mainly relying on selfie as her primary source of photography.

"It's amazing that you have such a huge fan base."

Fang Li said, dumbfounded yet admiring Sakura Airi.

Despite having so many issues, Sakura Airi, as a professional artist, still managed to gain considerable popularity. Even after entering this school, her photos were repeatedly used as covers for well-known magazines. It was evident that her talent, charm, and popularity were impeccable.

This helped Fang Li understand why the company that Sakura Airi belonged to put in so much effort to support her.

If she were an ordinary artist with so many problems, she would have been cast aside long ago.

Fang Li almost understood.

"Perhaps this is why you're in Class D?" he said.

The students in Class D were all students with some kind of flaw.

Sakura Airi's flaw lay in her difficulty with social interaction and adjustment to society.

If she could overcome this weakness, Sakura Airi would become a shining idol with high popularity in the future, reaching not just the national but even the global stage.

"You truly are a future star to look forward to."

Fang Li thought.

However, Sakura Airi seemed to be feeling sorry for herself, murmuring with her head lowered.

"I'm really useless. I can't talk properly with everyone, and I'm not good at studying or sports."

These words made Fang Li raise his head from his thoughts.

Indeed, Sakura Airi's academic performance was not outstanding. Her grades in all subjects were below average during the mid-term exams—not bad, but not good either.

As for sports, it was evident that she wasn't skilled at it.

After all, it was difficult to excel in sports with such a well-endowed figure.

Of course, Fang Li couldn't say these things out loud, or Sakura Airi might run away.

For now, Fang Li could only pat Sakura Airi's head.

"Ah..."

Sakura Airi made a surprised sound.

Ignoring her reaction, Fang Li continued to pat her head.

"No one is good at everything, so there's no need to worry about these things," Fang Li said, still patting Sakura Airi's head with a smile. "If a person has no flaws at all, they won't grow."

Just like Fang Li, who had inherited the name "Nanaya" perfectly within his clan.

"So, you should be happy, Sakura," Fang Li said. "You have plenty of room for growth and improvement."

That was Fang Li's sincere belief.

"Nanaya-san..."

Sakura Airi looked up and gazed at Fang Li with her wavering eyes.

Meeting Sakura Airi's gaze, Fang Li suddenly smiled.

"Don't worry, you'll soon adapt to everything and grow. I promise you that."

Fang Li said with conviction to Sakura Airi.

Upon hearing his words, Sakura Airi blushed, feeling overwhelmed with shyness.

"Mm... Mm..."

After a while, Sakura Airi shyly nodded her head as if unable to bear the weight of Fang Li's assurance.

Only then did the two of them continue walking towards the dormitory.

For these two individuals, their campus life in the Advanced Nurturing High School was just beginning.