After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

When Sakata Asahi learned that Ayakoji Chiyoko was coming over, it was this afternoon.

She had a gift, intended to be presented to Tsukinomori Girls' Academy on behalf of Yuqiu High School.

Though verbally it was described as a gift representing friendship, everyone knew that it was actually an "apology" from Ugao High.

During the last cultural exchange held between the two schools, Tsukinomori decided to provide artworks by talented students from their arts club, to be transported to Yuqiu High School for an exhibition, and Tsukinomori students were to attend, increasing understanding between students of both schools.

The exhibits included paintings, sculptures, and handicrafts.

For this purpose, Ugao High provided a truck for transport.

As everyone knows, the exhibits were stolen en route; the entire truck was emptied. No responsibility was pursued against the Ugao High staff involved, and those art pieces from Tsukinomori students simply vanished.

Of course, Tsukinomori Girls' Academy was very displeased, and even after Yuqiu High School successfully recovered and returned the exhibits intact, forgiveness was not granted.

The exchange turned into what could be called "a break-off meeting," and relations between the schools reached a freezing point.

Even though Ayakoji Chiyoko had personally visited Tsukinomori to apologize earlier, it only helped to slightly ease the confrontational atmosphere.

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She clearly felt what she had done was insufficient, and she planned to visit today, having notified the Student Council of Tsukinomori Girls' Academy.

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

Representatives of the Student Council from Tsukinomori stood at the school gate ready to welcome her, whispering among themselves while waiting, with their conversation directly addressing Ayakoji Chiyoko and full of criticism towards Yuqiu High School.

As the President of Tsukinomori, Sakata Asahi, on the other hand, did not join in the conversation but maintained a guilty silence.

In the matter of the theft of the exhibits, she had been aware of everything from the beginning, and even one of the planners; Kiryu Hina proposed the plan and she agreed.

Even now, Ayakoji Chiyoko still thought that she was on her side, having not participated in the actions of Kiryu Hina and the others.

Sakata Asahi thought it would be better not to let her know.

If she found out she was a traitor, there would be no chance of remaining friends.

Soon after, a familiar truck slowly drove up, stopping at the school gate.

The people of Tsukinomori looked askance at the vehicle.

Because their students' artworks had vanished after being loaded onto this truck.

But when the truck stopped, they saw that the driver was not the same school worker as last time but a strange man wearing sunglasses and a mask, and Ayakoji Chiyoko got out of the passenger seat.

"Everyone, good afternoon," she said calmly, nodding to them. "I am terribly sorry that I am the only one who came today; this truck couldn't accommodate so many people."

"Chiyoko," Sakata Asahi approached her with a slightly odd expression, "do you need a truck to transport Ugao High's gift?"

"It's a bit large, please don't mind it."

"How could I?"

Sakata Asahi followed Ayakoji Chiyoko to the back of the truck, watching as she unlocked the doors, and was surprised by what lay behind.

It was a stack of framed paintings, each about half a meter long, secured together with straps.

Ayakoji Chiyoko climbed into the truck and, turning around, said, "Asahi, call a few people to help; I can't manage these on my own."

"Alright."

Soon, representatives from Tsukinomori's Student Council helped unload the framed paintings from the truck.

While handling the items, Sakata Asahi noticed that each frame actually enclosed an oil painting that looked like pieces of a large puzzle; it was impossible to discern the specifics at a glance.

She carefully counted the paintings; there were twenty in total, all neatly arranged.

Ayakoji Chiyoko instructed them to bring all the paintings inside the school.

People like her, even when using words such as 'please' and 'I implore you,' sound coercive.

Last time she visited, her attitude was a bit softer, but today it became unexpectedly firm, really puzzling people.

Out of respect for Sakata Asahi herself, the members of the Moon Forest Student Council refrained from getting angry and silently helped move the paintings, under the curious gaze of the female students leaving school, carrying both the frames and the oil paintings preserved within, into the school.

A few inquisitive girls followed behind, likely those without club activities or who planned to take rests.

Sakata Asahi didn't plan to stop them, letting them watch as they brought the paintings to a spacious area.

This place was on the side of the teaching building, against the light, where two girls were playing badminton. Seeing the newcomers, they cleverly moved aside with their rackets, curiously watching them handle the frames.

Under the direction of Ayakoji Chiyoko, Sakata Asahi and others quickly arranged the oil paintings on the ground in the correct order, as if they were piecing together a puzzle with oil paintings.

Twenty paintings gradually came together on the ground, forming a giant oil painting 2.03 meters wide and 7.62 meters long.

Everyone watched, dumbfounded.

After being arranged in the correct sequence, the original inexplicable oil painting finally revealed its true appearance.

The students from Tsukinomori recognized at a glance what it was.

The straight path viewed from the school gate, and the Tsukinomori Girls' Academy's red brick teaching building at the end of the line of sight, dignified, stern, elegant.

The rows of willow trees on both sides of the walkway swayed their long leave under the gentle breeze, and students from Tsukinomori, wearing dark purple long dress uniforms, walked through the middle in groups of threes and twos, heading towards the teaching building.

They interacted with proper etiquette, some chatting with each other, some reading books while walking, others waving to classmates, their forms natural and three-dimensional, full of vivacity, as if transferred from a photograph.

From this angle, one could say the painting adopts a realist style, but the artist's brushwork wasn't as delicate as in "The Gleaners" or "The Milkmaid," with a slightly bright color contrast giving a sense of dynamic beauty, more on the modern side of realism.

Undoubtedly, this was a masterpiece, so good that even laypeople could recognize it as a work of a master.

If this painting was used as a selling point for an art exhibition, others might not know, but at least Sakata Asahi would take interest.

Even if she wasn't a student of Tsukinomori, and even if the painting didn't depict Tsukinomori Girls' School, it would still seem normal.

This painting's biggest point of discord for her lay here.

Why would anyone use such a level of artistic skill to paint the Tsukinomori teaching building?

Frankly speaking, Sakata Asahi even thought that their school's scenery didn't match this painting.

Not only was it too beautiful, but it was also a rare large-format realist oil painting, visible proof of its value.

"Is this the gift you mentioned on the phone?" Sakata Asahi said incredulously.

"This painting represents Ugao High's sincerity and heartfelt apologies to Tsukinomori," Ayakoji Chiyoko said.

"You all must have spent a lot of money,"

Ayakoji Chiyoko pursed her lips and smiled, her expression showing a hint of pride as she said with one hand on her hip, "This is the work of our Ugao High students, you'd never guess who painted it."

"Could it be...Suse?"

Ayakoji Chiyoko's mouth drooped, "What does that guy have to do with it?"

She walked over and turned over an oil painting in the bottom right corner. On the back, there was an inscription written with beautiful black brush strokes—

[Yuqiu Private High School

Presents

Tsukinomori Private Girls' School]

[Kagura Hikaru]