[Ruyi Resident]
The competition to name the residence was ultimately won by Yamauchi Sakura. The selection process was absolutely fair and anonymous—every single vote went to her.
Even Eriri, who muttered something about going home and renaming the old Furukawa Garden to "Coke Mansion," still cast her vote for her underclassman.
Soubu High School used to be a public school located in Chiba City.
But in an effort to improve its education standards, it absorbed a significant amount of private funding.
As a result, the school relocated to Tokyo and was restructured as a private institution.
———————————————————————
April 1st
Fluffy little Momotarou was surprised to find that his master—who usually wouldn't wake up until the sun had risen high enough to shine into the pond—was up early today.
The silly little dog thought his master had finally gone mad and was taking him for an early morning walk.
His tiny tail wagged so hard it was practically a propeller.
But what puzzled him even more was that both his master and mistresses were all wearing matching outfits.
"Sorry, Momotarou. We can't play with you today," Shouko said as she crouched down and gently rubbed the pup's head.
Things had been so hectic leading up to the new school term that they hadn't even had time to build him a proper doghouse.
All they had for now was a simple cushion Naoka had thrown together.
It's worth mentioning that, although Momotarou technically belonged to Kasumigaoka, his favorite person was Eriri.
Yet the one who trained him every day was Sakura.
Everyone had been at their wit's end trying to house-train him, until Sakura came home for just three days and miraculously turned him into a perfectly behaved pup.
"Momotarou, sit!" Sakura called out softly.
The fluffy dog immediately plopped down, tilting his head and waiting for the next command.
"Good boy," she beamed, tearing off a small piece of bread and tossing it to him.
(Just to clarify: as long as it's not something harmful to dogs, small amounts of human food like bread are okay.)
It wasn't even 6:30 AM yet.
Today's breakfast was just some bread they had baked the night before.
Kyousuke, in a rare moment of lethargy, couldn't even muster the energy to eat. He slumped on the couch, head tilted back, staring into the void.
It was so early, he felt like he'd been dragged back into his previous life.
"Why do we even have to get up this early?" he groaned. "Your senpai already showed the perfect example—wake up at 8:00, show up after the morning assembly ends at 8:30."
"The teacher leaves through the front door, we sneak in from the back. Perfectly timed for first period. A stress-free start to school life."
Indeed, the only ones up in the living room right now were Kyousuke, Shouko, and Sakura.
The three girls attending Toyogasaki were still sound asleep.
"Ugh, hurry up and get dressed! Your uniform's getting all wrinkled—I just ironed it for you last night!" Sakura scolded as she yanked him to his feet.
This moment highlighted the wonders of modern technology.
If they had been using an old-fashioned iron, even three sets of uniforms wouldn't have survived Eriri's practice attempts.
There'd be holes all over them.
Last night, the girls had gathered on the living room carpet to prepare everyone's uniforms with military precision.
Kyousuke's blazer, priced at 15,000 yen, received a level of care and attention that would make even luxury garments jealous.
"Naoka's school already had their entrance ceremony. Ours hasn't, so we should go early to check out the venue," Sakura explained, sounding completely justified.
Shouko stood beside her, nodding solemnly.
Just like back in elementary school—whenever it came to these formal events, Shouko would always get super serious and nervous.
If possible, Kyousuke would've loved to let her give the speech instead to help her build confidence.
An "entrance ceremony" isn't quite the same as the general "start of term" assembly. It's a formal event, much like a graduation.
Some schools, like the private Toyogasaki Academy, hold theirs separately before the actual school term starts.
Others, like Soubu High, combine the events into one.
"Even if we go this early, we'd have time to inspect every single classroom," Kyousuke muttered.
Still, he didn't resist when Sakura grabbed his hand and dragged him out the door.
Their school was only about a 10-minute walk from home, so there was no need to suffer through the crowded morning trains.
"Momotarou, make sure to wake up Eriri and the others, okay?" Sakura said seriously as they left.
"Woof~"
Once they were out on the street, Kyousuke realized they weren't the only ones up early.
Groups of students in various uniforms were walking and chatting, their faces full of excitement and anticipation.
Even without the skill to tell a student's grade by their uniform, he could guess—they were all freshmen, just like him.
"Hey, Kyousuke, what do you think?" Sakura's voice broke through his drifting thoughts.
He turned to look.
The roadside cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
Under the pink canopy stood Sakura, holding Shouko's hand with one and gripping her backpack strap with the other.
She looked at him with that special kind of smile that only spring can bring.
Black blazer, white blouse, red ribbon at the collar, plaid skirt.
Sakura's eyes sparkled as she smiled brightly, flashing her white teeth.
Even the usually shy Shouko was glancing his way, quietly hoping he'd say something nice about them on their first day as high schoolers.
Their vivid smiles blended with the falling cherry blossoms, the fleeting petals framing a scene straight out of a dream.
The flowers were fading, but the girls were just stepping into the brightest moments of their lives.
Kyousuke's heart, like the petals, swirled and fluttered down—drawn to the hem of the girls' skirts.
It felt like they had crossed time and space together, from elementary school in Suimon City all the way to this new beginning.
"Is it just that the cherry blossoms are too pretty? I can't seem to see you clearly anymore."
People as beautiful as blossoms—they throw my heart into disarray.
"Hahaha, Kyousuke, you're such a tease. Can't you say something nice for once?"
Sakura giggled, letting go of Shouko's hand and twirling on the spot.
Her black, white, and gray plaid skirt flared up, briefly revealing the safety shorts underneath.
"Today's our first day as JKs (Japanese high school girls), you know? Aren't you even a little excited to be walking to school with us?"
"Shouko, your new hairstyle looks really nice," Kyousuke said, stepping forward to brush a cherry blossom off her head.
Under the soft morning sunlight, her light brown hair shimmered with a pink hue, making her look even cuter.
Maybe she wanted to make a fresh impression on her new classmates.
Shouko had tied her hair into a neat bun, revealing the nape of her neck.
Compared to when she wore her hair down, she looked less like a clumsy airhead and more like a girl you could picture living next door.
From "moe" to "wife material."
"Hey! What about me? I changed my hairstyle too!" Sakura protested.
Her hair was also tied up, though not as neatly—more like a swirling vortex.
"My mom did your hair like that on the third day after we met," Kyousuke replied.
After all these years, every look of hers was already etched into his heart. With that, he resumed walking.
"Huh!? No way!" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly fired back. "That was elementary school Sakura. Today, I'm high schooler Yamauchi Sakura!"
"Yes, yes. Today's Sakura is a perfect ten."
"That's more like it~"
Amid cheerful chatter, the gates of Soubu High School finally came into view.
Kyousuke had already been here once before to handle some paperwork and attend the freshman orientation, so he had studied the campus map carefully.
The school grounds were arranged in a square-shaped layout, like the character "口".
The grand building visible from the entrance was the multimedia hall.
To the left behind it was the main classroom building, and to the right stood the special activities building.
These two buildings were connected by a second-floor corridor.
The classroom building was for daily classes, while the special activities building housed cooking rooms and club facilities.
At the heart of the square was the courtyard, filled with lush greenery and plenty of benches.
The most eye-catching feature there was a massive cherry blossom tree near the special building.
No one knew how many years it had stood there, but it towered at least two stories high.
Kyousuke had seen it himself from the second floor of the special building, the view was breathtaking.
Naturally, this courtyard was the main stage for countless school romances.
Come lunchtime, boys and girls would flock there to eat and chat.
Even after school, many students would skip club activities just to hang out under that tree.
"Ahhh, I'm so sleepy." Just as they were about to walk through the school gates, Sakura let out a yawn, then suddenly remembered something.
She swung her blue backpack off her shoulder and began rummaging through it frantically.
"Crap, crap—I forgot my modern literature textbook! Kyousuke, could you go back and grab it for me? Please?" She turned to him with a playful smile and stuck out her tongue.
"Sakura, I think we don't have that class to—mmph!" Shouko didn't even get to finish her sentence before Sakura swiftly clamped a hand over her mouth.
"I got it, I'll be back as soon as I can." Kyousuke looked at Sakura for a moment, then smiled and gently patted the confused Shouko on the head.
There was still nearly an hour before 8 a.m.
Even going all the way back home and stopping by Toyogasaki before returning to Soubu High would leave him with time to spare.
Sakura really was...
What a lovable idiot.
Outside any Japanese school gate, you're far more likely to find a café than a bookstore.
Since there were no breakfast shops around, and unless one wanted to eat bread or leftovers in the morning, cafés were the only real option.
So despite having just eaten, Sakura pulled Shouko into a nearby café, promising to wait there for Kyousuke's return.
Waving goodbye to the two girls, Kyousuke headed off toward home.
While waiting at a traffic light, his eyes drifted toward a girl standing ahead of him.
It wasn't her soft peach-colored hair or the oddity of someone walking their dog at 7 a.m. that caught his attention—it was the glowing cursor above her head:
[My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected – Yui (Protagonist)]
Huh? "My Youth Romantic Comedy"? That sounded like something people just joked about—he didn't think there were actual title like that.
Sure, he'd often heard Eriri shout those weird anime title, but Kyousuke never expected to meet someone straight out of that kind of world.
Her peach-colored hair had hints of reddish-orange, tied into a bun on the right side of her head.
Her profile was beautiful—of course it was.
She was a protagonist, after all. She wore unmistakable pajamas and shorts, clearly still in her morning routine.
Kyousuke's sharp mind instantly came to a conclusion—this girl had to go to the same school.
Only a senpai would be relaxed enough to be out walking her dog right before the opening ceremony.
Compared to a nervous freshman like Shouko, she exuded carefree confidence.
While he was busy wondering what kind of youth romantic comedy would qualify as "wrong," he noticed the dog leash slip from her hand.
Unlike the harness-style leash Kyousuke used for his own dog, Momotarou, this one was a retractable type.
A plastic casing stored the leash inside, automatically extending and retracting as needed.
Convenient, but heavy—easy to drop if you're not careful. And once dropped, the reel might chase the dog, scaring it into a panic.
Which was exactly what happened.
The small brown dachshund bolted toward the road—right in the path of an oncoming luxury car.
All of that raced through Kyousuke's mind in less than half a second.
And in that instant, he—
No.
He didn't unlock the twelfth genetic gate or sacrifice his life to save an ugly dachshund in hopes of winning the heroine's favor.
Not even die-hard animal rights activists would risk their lives for a random dog.
If a sealed bottle of cold cola was about to get crushed by a car, Kyousuke's first thought would be: "Please don't let the cap fly off and hit me."
Instead, he calmly pulled a blade from a rift in space—one that radiated an overwhelming chill.
He leapt in front of the dog, raised the sword in a high stance, and with one clean slash, split the luxury car—painted in the most expensive finish money could buy—clean in half.
As for the driver?
Well, compared to causing a traffic accident, clearly the safety of a random dachshund was far more important.
…Not.
Maybe Sakura and Shouko were rubbing off on him.
Or maybe he was just getting too hyped about the upcoming high school life. His imagination was definitely getting out of control.
In reality, he didn't jump in front of the car or try to cause an accident.
Instead, he swiftly stepped forward and planted his foot on the leash before the dog could get far.
Since he'd been watching the girl the whole time, he saw the leash slip the moment it happened.
He'd even caught Eriri falling off the couch before—there was no way he'd miss a leash on the ground.
Years of training weren't just for show.
While he hadn't reached the level of slicing through iron, he could definitely move fast enough to create the illusion of teleporting.
Shaking his head, he bent down, picked up the leash, and handed it back to the girl.
"You should be more careful, Yuigahama-senpai."
As soon as he said it, he realized how off he was acting today.
Normally, even if he recognized someone from their floating name tag, he'd pretend not to know.
But here he was, not only saying her name out loud but also revealing his deduction.
"Oh! Sorry, sorry—and thank you!" Yuigahama Yui finally snapped out of it after taking back the leash.
She bowed quickly in apology and gratitude.
Just as she had been about to shout her dog's name, a guy had stepped in, stopped the leash with perfect timing, and handed it back to her—all within the span of two seconds.
'But wait… senpai?'
Was he a junior from middle school? No way.
There's no way someone like that went to their school.
As a master of reading the room, Yuigahama Yui was certain—if there were a guy that hot on campus, he'd be on every girl's radar.
But… his uniform was the same as hers.
A first-year.
Yes, even though she was still out walking her dog an hour before the high school entrance ceremony, Yui was indeed a brand-new high school freshman.
Like many others, she was nervous and excited about the new chapter ahead, and walking her dog was her own unique way of calming her nerves.
Before she could say anything more, the traffic light turned green.
The boy—clearly the same year as her, yet oddly calling her "senpai"—flashed her a warm smile before stepping onto the crosswalk.
Yuigahama's reddish eyes sparkled.
Even though she hadn't managed to say anything beyond a quick "thank you," her anticipation for high school life grew even stronger.
Rather than rushing across the street, she gently guided her little dog to the inner side of the sidewalk, knelt down, and began scolding it softly.
But she wasn't the only one paying attention to the runaway dachshund at that intersection.
Just three or four meters away, a boy straddling a bicycle let out a heavy sigh of relief after watching the dog get saved.
With the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman as his witness, Hachiman Hikigaya was not what you'd call a dog lover.
If anything, he preferred cats—at least he fed the one at home every day, like clockwork.
But just now, on this very morning when his new youthful high school life was supposed to begin… when he saw that little dog dart into traffic, something in him snapped.
He had the sudden, absurd impulse to break the limits of human speed, pedal his bike into the path of an oncoming car, and shield the dog with his own body.
Wait, wait—was that a suicidal thought?
Was he already spiraling before high school even started? Was this some new form of emotional disaster-prepping?
Get a grip, Hikigaya! You worked your butt off to get into this school.
You're finally going to meet that person.
You can't crash and burn now!
You swore to fight alongside the upperclassmen at nationals! And who knows—maybe there's even a sweet school romance waiting for you!
…Wait.
That guy who saved the dog—was that Hojou-san?
Hikigaya pulled his bike to the curb and took out his phone.
Since he'd just gotten it for high school, there wasn't much stored on it—just a few contacts, mostly upperclassmen from the kendo club.
He opened a specific photo folder.
No doubt about it. The face was slightly different from the pictures, but that was definitely him—Hojou Kyousuke, the Demon Lord Without Hands!
Lucky! On day one of high school, he'd already caught a glimpse of the legendary Hojou-san saving a dog like some kind of hero.
Feeling unexpectedly pumped up, Hikigaya's excitement for high school life only grew stronger.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, in a luxury car nearby…
In the backseat sat a girl in the Soubu High School uniform. The same uniform could look vastly different depending on who wore it.
On Kyousuke, it looked like a suit you'd wear to a gala.
On this girl, it was more like a mannequin display in a high-end boutique. Even seated, not a single wrinkle marred the fabric—perfectly crisp shirt and skirt.
Long black hair flowed down her back, with two delicate strands tied into red bows draped over her shoulders.
The bow at her collar was so perfectly symmetrical it could've been measured with a protractor.
Her plaid skirt fell neatly over smooth, slender thighs, with no gap between them.
Her hands rested motionless on her lap, as if adhering to some unwritten etiquette.
Her flawless face showed no emotion as she tilted her head slightly, pale blue eyes still gazing back at the intersection behind them.
Perfect.
If one had to put a name to her beauty, that word alone would suffice.
She was the kind of girl people would dream about years from now—drunk at some izakaya late at night, haunted by the image of a cold beauty with long black hair.
Even from a passing glance, she had noticed the tall, striking boy on the street.
"Tsuzuki-san, do you know that boy?" she asked.
It wasn't just that he was wearing the same Soubu High uniform—her curiosity was also piqued by the odd reaction of her chauffeur, Tsuzuki Konami.
Tsuzuki cautiously looked up into the rearview mirror at the second daughter of the Yukinoshita family—Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Yes," he replied honestly.
Someone as sharp as her had clearly noticed his reaction, and there was no reason to hide it anyway.
"That boy is named Hojou Kyousuke. He's a junior of my younger brother Ryou at school—no, actually, he's his club president."
Yukino gave a knowing little nod.
It was well-known that Tsuzuki-san had a younger brother, Tsuzuki Ryou, who got into the University of Tokyo.
Her mother had even sent a gift to celebrate.
'So he's the one replacing me for the entrance ceremony speech.' Yukino thought quietly.
Not that she felt bitter about it.
Her sister had given the speech when she started high school, but that didn't mean much.
Tsuzuki continued rambling about Kyousuke, but Yukino simply nodded occasionally, letting him know she was listening.
———————————————————————
When Kyousuke got home, Naoka was already up, standing in the kitchen in a T-shirt and shorts, frying eggs.
With the apron tied around her waist, it looked from the front like she was wearing nothing at all.
Her pale, slender legs were impossible not to notice.
"I'll take over," Kyousuke offered, walking over.
"You're still in your school uniform. It'll stink of grease," Naoka replied with a smile, not even asking why he was home this early.
Clearly, she already knew about Sakura's plan.
"Haha, guess it's been a while since I've had Naoka's cooking."
"Don't make it sound like I never cook!" she protested, face suddenly flushing red.
Back when they lived in Suimon City, she had been in charge of the whole family's meals.
But ever since moving in with Kyousuke, she hadn't cooked much at all—even though she'd promised to take care of the household chores…
"I'll go upstairs and call Eriri and Utaha-senpai," Kyousuke said, casually patting Momotarou the dog on the head.
The pup clearly didn't understand why his master had come home, but he looked thrilled nonetheless.
He knocked on Eriri's door and, as expected, was met with: "You're so annoying," "I know already," and "I don't wanna get up."
Then he knocked on Utaha-senpai's door—only to get no response at all.
That worried him a bit.
She often stayed up all night reading novels and might have overslept.
It wouldn't be the first time she missed something important because of that.
After knocking again and still hearing nothing, he hesitantly turned the doorknob and stepped inside, concerned.
Even though he was the landlord, he knew there were boundaries.
But Kasumigaoka Utaha had specifically told him before:
"If I don't answer, just come in and wake me. Sometimes I sleep through everything."
When he opened the door and looked to the right, the familiar face wasn't on the white pillow.
Instead, Kasumigaoka Utaha was curled up under a deep navy-blue blanket, her fair shoulders exposed.
The elegant curve of her legs peeked through, making her resemble a mermaid asleep on land.
If it were nighttime, Kyousuke might have gently lifted her head onto the pillow and tucked her in properly.
But this morning, all he could do was walk over, softly shake her shoulder, and call her name.
Suddenly, a splash of red appeared in the dimly lit room.
Before he could react, Kyousuke was grabbed by the collar and pulled onto the bed.
Utaha, who had been facing the wall, turned over so their foreheads nearly touched.
"Good morning, Kyousuke," she whispered.
Her warm, drowsy breath carried an irresistible allure.
Her deep wine-red eyes, half-lidded in the morning light, seemed to draw him in completely—as if staying here forever wouldn't be such a bad idea.
"It's time to get up, Senpai."
"Just a little longer... stay with me," she murmured.
"If we don't hurry, Eriri's going to storm in here."
"Hehehe~"
Utaha let out a soft, melodic laugh and slowly released him from her embrace.
She sat up and ran her long fingers through her hair.
As beautiful as ever, she still had a touch of sleepiness to her as she blanked out for a moment, adjusting to the morning light.
After breakfast, the four of them headed off to school together.
The uniforms at Toyogasaki Academy were a bit livelier than most—white dress shirts paired with sleeveless navy vests, and the usual pleated skirts.
Below the waist, personal style came into play.
Eriri wore black over-the-knee socks, Utaha opted for sheer black tights, while Naoka, as always, left her long, pale legs bare.
The closer they got to school, the more obvious it became just how popular Eriri was.
A steady stream of students greeted her along the way, and she responded to each with a dazzling smile—one that even Kyousuke found unfamiliar—calling everyone by name and offering friendly, varied small talk.
Walking beside such a "princess" naturally drew attention.
Curious gazes followed Kyousuke too—though to be fair, some of that attention was likely also due to the other stunning Toyogasaki girl walking alongside him.
"Pretty intimidating, right? That's the perfect ojou-sama of Toyogasaki for you," Utaha whispered as she leaned closer to Kyousuke.
Though she whispered, Eriri heard her loud and clear and shot her a deadly glare.
"I think she's adorable," Kyousuke said with a smile. "Even if it's exhausting, she still works hard to maintain it."
Despite knowing her for a long time, he never tried to push Eriri to "be herself" or let her otaku side out more.
The dignified, elegant side she showed at school was just as much a part of her as her passionate, nerdy side.
Both were equally beautiful—equally lovable.
"Sigh… Kyousuke, the more you say things like that, the more I feel like I'll never be able to let you go," Utaha said with a charming giggle, entirely unfazed by the crowds of students in identical uniforms walking past.
Unlike Eriri, who was the center of attention, Utaha—nicknamed the Snow Woman (雪女) of the school—was someone whom even classmates barely dared to talk to.
"If I don't see you after school… you know what's coming!" Eriri turned to look at him near the school gate, crinkling her nose in a way that was almost painfully cute.
"Yeah, yeah~" Kyousuke replied casually.
They'd already made plans—if nothing urgent came up, they'd all hang out after school.
"Naoka, good luck at school today," he added with a smile, giving Ueno Naoka a gentle pat on the head.