Madam Yukinoshita had impeccable poise, and her voice was as pleasing as a high-end spruce violin.
But in this setting, Kyousuke was convinced no one in the audience was actually paying attention to what was being said on stage.
Just as Sakura once remarked that cherry blossoms choose their own time to bloom, human ears, too, choose what they want to hear.
Even if the speakers' voices were amplified through powerful microphones, like some kind of magical incantation forced into their ears, it didn't matter.
Because at this moment, focusing on the girl beside him—wondering what her breathing sounded like—that was more captivating.
While Kyousuke thought no one could possibly be listening to the speech, there was one exception.
A girl, posture straight as if her slim waist were tied to a bamboo rod beneath her black school uniform.
Her pale blue eyes gleamed like the finest glass—cold and focused.
Calm. Attentive. Distant.
Her sharp side profile held the kind of beauty one might call "perfect"—an icy goddess untouchable by mere mortals.
This speech, which no one else gave a second thought to, was being etched word for word into the heart of a girl named Yukinoshita Yukino.
Not only was she listening carefully now, she would later revisit every line in her memory, examining each detail as if under a microscope.
It wasn't just because "listening intently is a basic social courtesy."
No, it was also because the woman speaking on stage was her own mother—Yukinoshita Chiyo.
This seemingly unimportant speech had taken her mother an entire week to prepare.
In return, when Yukino was selected as the freshman representative, she had spent two weeks crafting her own speech.
She'd studied over a hundred famous speeches in history, scrapping over thirty drafts in the process.
And still, she didn't even have one percent confidence that her own words could match even a tenth of her mother's.
So she had to learn. Absorb. Improve. Again and again.
"Yukinoshita-san's mother is so elegant," a classmate whispered beside her.
"Please pay attention, Misuzu Ishiyama-san," Yukino responded coldly, her slender brows knitting slightly.
Her voice was as biting as wind sweeping across a frozen plain.
She remembered the girl's name only because during a recent homeroom session, the girl had introduced herself.
"...R-right. Got it." Ishiyama laughed awkwardly and sat up straighter.
Thus, the space around Yukinoshita Yukino became a zone of absolute silence.
She was fully aware of the impact her words would have.
She also knew that all she needed to do was smile and reply with a gentle "mm," and not just Ishiyama—other students would also try to befriend her by praising her mother.
That would give her a chance to form a clique with herself at the center—a perfect way to start her high school life.
If it were her older sister, that's exactly what she would've done.
But she was Yukinoshita Yukino.
She didn't know, and didn't want to guess, what her sister would say or do.
All she needed to do was follow what she believed was right—be the Yukinoshita Yukino who never compromised who she was.
The speech was drawing to a close.
Yukinoshita Chiyo, her hair neatly pinned back in a tight bun, gave a small bow to the audience and stepped down from the podium amid polite applause.
The host filled the gap with a few words, waiting for the speaker to return to her seat before announcing the next part of the program—the freshman representative's address.
Yukino's hands, resting lightly on her thighs, tensed slightly, leaving faint impressions on her skin.
Her gaze didn't follow her mother's retreating figure—because she knew who was waiting at the end of that path.
"...Let's welcome the freshman representative, Hojou Kyousuke, to the stage," the host finally announced.
"He seems like a decent young man," Chiyo said quietly as she turned slightly to watch Kyousuke rise from his seat.
Her tone was calm—just loud enough for those near her to hear, but not the rest of the auditorium.
"Oh yes. Handsome enough to make you fall for him at a glance," replied Yukinoshita Haruno, resting her chin on her hands, her rose-colored eyes following him lazily.
Chiyo said nothing more, simply joining her eldest daughter in watching him.
Kyousuke stood up and flashed a smile at Sakura and Shouko seated beside him.
Then, he began walking slowly through the aisle toward the stage.
At six feet tall, he was considered a "large competitor" in kendo tournaments.
Moving through the neatly seated rows of students, he looked even more imposing—almost like a giant.
The name "Hojou Kyousuke" had been clearly caught by everyone in the room.
The invited VIPs and power players wanted to see what kind of person could make the school principal go so far as to risk offending the board just to replace the Yukinoshita family's second daughter.
The parents were curious too.
After all, if their own children could say, "We go to school with that student," it made for great bragging rights back in the neighborhood—even if the school itself wasn't elite, being around elite students was a boost in itself.
As for the students, their reasons were simpler. Being classmates with someone impressive was a badge of honor.
In Japan, even if two students never spoke in school, just knowing they were schoolmates could be a point of pride—like how Osaka Gō recommended Kyousuke to the Mystery Writers' Association.
Besides, this was Hojou Kyousuke.
Word had spread fast.
One class meeting was enough for the gossip chain to catch up, and now even students who hadn't known about him before were aware they shared a class with a minor celebrity.
Under all eyes, Kyousuke walked at an unhurried pace.
The moment he stepped onto the side stairs leading to the stage, Goro Hata and Ryoma Mitsuhashi were the first to start clapping—totally out of place for the moment.
No one else was clapping yet. Just those idiots, followed by a few classmates who went along with it.
Kyousuke paused, turned to give his misbehaving underlings a look, and nodded with a flawless smile.
As if thanking them for their enthusiastic welcome.
His instincts screamed that he'd have to make them run a hundred extra kendo drills after school.
Then he froze—'Wait, what the hell? Where did that thought come from?'
Must be that bastard Kisaki trying to brainwash him again.
No way was he joining the kendo club. A peaceful, happy life awaited him!
Haruno watched Kyousuke on stage and smiled.
"He really is adored by his underlings, huh."
Her voice carried a tinge of envy—or maybe she was just teasing.
Her rose-colored eyes sparkled with lively mischief.
Her mother, however, said nothing, simply watching in composed silence.
The stir from the clapping soon had the audience murmuring.
Compliments like "he's even better looking than at the autograph signing" buzzed through the crowd.
Some who had seen him at kendo tournaments proudly recounted how their schools had lost to him.
"...Hello everyone. I'm Hojou Kyousuke from Class 1-F. I'm honored to represent the freshman class today. As cherry blossoms bloom brilliantly around us…"
Kyousuke hadn't brought the speech that senior Utaha had written for him. He had already memorized it.
Not that it mattered—someone like him could easily improvise something on the spot.
It's not like anyone was going to throw gold coins at him just because he gave a great speech.
The silent bubble of calm around Yukinoshita Yukino had quietly dissolved.
As the girls nearby let out excited gasps, she felt nothing.
She had never held herself to the standards of a typical high school girl, so their reactions were foreign to her.
If anything, she was simply curious to hear what kind of words the boy who had taken her place as freshman representative would speak.
But that speech wasn't his.
She made the judgment in under thirty seconds.
The script was clearly written by a girl.
It was elegant, but the detached tone gave it away.
The writer was likely someone who frequently gave public speeches, and clearly disliked doing so—someone who treated it as a chore.
Yukino lost all interest in listening.
And to think she had hoped that someone capable of writing something like The Devotion of Suspect X might bring something new to the table.
Turns out, it was just… ordinary.
In Class 1-F's section, Hikigaya Hachiman stared at the boy on stage—Kyousuke—who seemed to swallow all the attention around him like a black hole.
Hachiman felt neither envy nor disappointment.
After outgrowing his "chuunibyou" phase, he realized that if he didn't care about anything, if he didn't try, he could at least hide the fact that he lacked talent.
He once tried to be a hero, mimicking an adult he admired during his middle school years, only to end up with a bruised face.
Then he drew a manga so bad his sister Komachi asked if he had robbed a kindergarten art show.
In both real life and fantasy, he was still just him. Not a hero. Not anyone special.
Scoring tenth on the entrance exam to Soubu High was his limit.
Of course, thanks to Hojou-san transferring in, he was now ranked eleventh.
Sure, with time and effort, he could improve—but rising to the top like Hojou? That was completely out of reach.
Still, he owed a lot to Hojou-san.
His own Japanese scores had ranked first in his previous school, partly because of him.
Even though Hachiman's sixteen years of life had been unremarkable, he once got featured in Shuukan Bunshun, Japan's most notorious tabloid.
And it was in the same article as the adult he once idolized.
What an honor.
Just imagine telling your classmates—or even the members of the Rampaging Angels gang—that you once appeared in the same article as a national figure.
They'd probably beg to know how he pulled it off.
But… could he really tell them the truth?
If he could, he'd gladly wish for Shuukan Bunshun to go bankrupt.
If that day ever came, he'd spend a year's worth of allowance on fireworks and throw a party right in front of their office, even if it meant getting hauled into the police station.
"Some middle school kid, trying to play hero like in a manga, got his nose broken and ended up in the hospital."
That was how Shuukan Bunshun described him.
His first ever appearance in print.
And they got three things wrong:
First, he wasn't mimicking a manga protagonist—he was mimicking the author.
Second, he didn't just break his nose. Don't they know a broken nose doesn't require hospitalization?
Third, Shuukan Bunshun, why haven't you gone bankrupt yet?!
Yes, he was happy to share a page with his idol. But not like this.
He even went to their editorial office to protest.
Their response? A casual "Oh, that article wasn't about you, it was about a student named 'Hikigoo Bacteria.'"
Bastards.
Is this how society treats the next generation—the so-called hope of the future?
Still, filled with stubborn resolve, Hachiman bought every issue of Shuukan Bunshun, dissecting each line in hopes of finding a weakness—something he could sell to a rival publisher to bring them down.
Unfortunately, all he managed was to boost their sales. And no, his improved Japanese grades had nothing to do with those efforts.
They were thanks to Hojou-san. Absolutely.
Elsewhere, Hayama Hayato also sat up straighter, eyes fixed on Kyousuke.
He knew all too well that the original representative was supposed to be Yukinoshita Yukino.
Just like her sister Haruno, who had delivered the freshman speech both in middle and high school, Yukino had always chased after that shadow.
What was she feeling now, watching someone else stand on that stage?
Even though Yukino's Class was just next door, Hayato didn't try to look for her.
Ever since that incident, he knew he no longer had the right to get involved in her affairs.
Whether as a friend or a loyal vassal, he had failed her.
That's why Haruno had lost interest in him—and Yukino too...
As thoughts swirled across the audience, emotions mixed like a swirl of colors marking the start of their rose-colored high school lives.
Among them, Yamauchi Sakura and Nishimiya Shouko were probably the most excited.
If it weren't for the setting, Sakura might've pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight like a glow stick.
Once Kyousuke finished his speech and bowed, the applause roared.
He stepped off the stage and returned to his seat.
He didn't even wait for the ceremony to end before loosening his tie.
He folded it neatly and tucked it into his pocket, then unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.
It looked stylish, sure—but it was suffocating to wear.
"Hey! I spent forever picking that out!" Sakura pouted dramatically.
Kyousuke sighed.
Even though he knew she was just teasing, he didn't want her to be even the slightest bit upset on such a day.
He reached for his pocket.
"Hehe, Kyousuke, if you do that, Shouko-chan's gonna get jealous," Sakura giggled, pressing her hand over his to stop him and swiftly changing the subject.
"Eh?" Shouko, who had been quietly watching Kyousuke, gave a tiny squeak, then immediately lowered her head under Sakura's teasing gaze.
The three of them shared a moment of laughter as the host finally announced the end of the ceremony.
Then came the usual round of photos—first by class in front of the sign reading "Soubu High School Entrance Ceremony," followed by family pictures.
When Kyousuke returned to the school building, he hadn't even reached his classroom yet when he noticed someone standing at the end of the hallway—staring straight at him.
"Yukari, what's wrong?" Hiratsuka Shizuka gently patted Yukari Yukino's shoulder. Her friend had been standing frozen by the classroom door since the ceremony started.
"I'm fine, Shizuka. You go ahead—I just remembered something I need to do," Yukino Yukari replied, shaking her head.
The movement nearly caused the tears welling in her eyes to spill over.
"Okay… I'll see you inside then." Shizuka gave her a puzzled look, then walked off.
'Finally... I see you again, Kyousuke.'
This time, she wasn't going to run.
She wasn't going to hide—just like she had promised herself outside the gates of Higashi Middle School.
If fate had brought them together again in high school, then even if she had to quit her job again... she'd do it without hesitation.
She once thought longing, if it had a sound, would roar like a storm—thunder and lightning tearing across the sky.
But three years had taught her the truth.
Longing was like aged wine, trickling silently from an oak barrel, seeping into every corner of her soul without making a sound.
Her body, her heart, her soul—all of them roared like thunder:
'Go to him! Take his hand!'
'Don't never let Kyousuke go again!'
And so, she followed the voice of her soul.
She stepped forward, eyes locked on that one figure, walking straight through the crowd toward him.
This time…
"Kyousuke? What are you standing there for?"
Just as Kyousuke was about to take a step, his arm was suddenly tugged.
It was Sakura, who had been dragging Shouko around for photos, now linking arms with him.
Before he could explain, he saw Yukino Yukari's beautiful black eyes widen in shock—then she covered her mouth and turned to run away.
"Sakura, I…" He turned, wanting to explain quickly and chase after Yukari.
"What are you waiting for? Go after her!" Yamauchi Sakura gave him a hard push.
"Right." Kyousuke ruffled Sakura's hair with a grateful smile, then took off running, his long strides clearing a path as startled students moved aside.
Sakura watched the elegant woman in a fitted blazer disappear ahead, her eyes narrowing in thought.
By the time he reached the stairs, Yukari had just descended to the next floor.
He leapt down after her and caught her wrist, gripping it tightly, uncaring if he might hurt her.
Yukino kept her back to him, too afraid to turn around. Only the faint sound of her sobs betrayed her.
"Yukino."
Kyousuke didn't say anything else.
He pulled her with him out the back door of the stairwell. One—a beautiful teacher.
The other—the most talked-about freshman. In just one second, the two of them became the center of attention.
He knew.
He knew about the wound that had driven her all the way to Itomori to escape.
That's why—he couldn't afford to mess this up. If he did, who knew how far she would run next?
Without a word, he led her behind the school building, heading toward the special annex.
That place would be empty right now.
Even after three years, Yukino hadn't changed a bit.
She might have intended to run at first, but once caught, she went along obediently.
No resistance at all. In fact, she even adjusted her grip to hold Kyousuke's hand more firmly.
There were a few students near the annex and the student council members cleaning up the entrance ceremony venue.
Kyousuke didn't pay them any mind and pulled Yukino toward the rooftop stairs.
The stairwell was cluttered with junk, but the middle was clear enough to walk. A padlock hung on the rooftop door.
Kyousuke looked around, found a wooden stick—maybe from a broom—and with a swift swing, knocked the lock clean off.
Through it all, his left hand never let go of Yukino's.
"That was amazing!"
Yukino Yukari gasped softly, watching the smooth, decisive strike.
Her voice was still that familiar mix of clarity and sweetness. Time had been kind to her—she hadn't changed a bit.
Kyousuke turned around with a grin. Yukino quickly looked down, flustered.
He pushed open the door, revealing an empty rooftop. No one ever came up here, so apart from a few bird droppings, it was completely deserted.
He shut the door behind them, then held both of Yukino's hands in his.
"I missed you so much, sensei."
As he spoke, Kyousuke struggled to keep his emotions in check, his eyes turning red.
Yukino Yukari finally lifted her head.
Her long lashes trembled with teardrops, and her mysterious black eyes shimmered with emotion—surprise, shyness, longing…
"Me too… I missed you so much, Kyousuke-kun!"
Yukino hated how weak she was.
She hadn't hated herself even this much when she fled from Tokyo to Shikoku, then from Shikoku to Itomori.
Every morning when she woke up, the first thing she'd do was look toward Sendagi.
She knew—if she ever went back, she would find him.
But… she didn't dare.
She told herself it was fate.
If fate brought them together again, then she wouldn't run anymore. If they could meet even after everything… then surely…
That single hope was what kept her going for the past three years.
But what she hadn't expected… was that Kyousuke-kun might already have someone else.
Their rose-colored school days might already belong to another girl.
Did she really have the courage to break that apart?
Of course not.
She was only good at running away. Time had never taught her how to protect the things she loved.
"Please… don't run away anymore, okay?" Kyousuke gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.
Her skin was still just as soft as he remembered.
"Eyes this beautiful… shouldn't be used for crying."
Eyes like these were treasures—worthy of being called stars of the night.
"I… I know."
Those familiar words made Yukino feel as if she were back in that kitchen in Itomori, where her god had once spoken just as gently.
She lifted both hands and clumsily wiped away her tears. Kyousuke-kun liked seeing her smile.
She had to smile, she reminded herself. He once told her—your smile is the most beautiful.
Just like blades of grass swaying in the spring breeze—humble, yet tenacious.
Gentle enough to be trampled by anyone, but still standing tall, soaking in the sun, growing with all their might.
Her tears finally stopped. She looked up, staring intently at Kyousuke.
"What, did changing bodies make you forget who I am?" He brushed aside the strands of hair on her forehead with a warm smile.
"N-No… it's just… the first time I've seen you this close… It feels like I'm dreaming." Yukino whispered.
Hearing that, Kyousuke couldn't help but sigh deeply.
This foolish woman—how many times had she secretly watched him from the shadows? He pulled her hand up to his cheek.
Yukino lifted her other hand instinctively, gently caressing the face she'd dreamed of for so long.
As her fingers traced his features, a joyful expression bloomed on her face—as if that unreachable dream was slowly becoming real.
Her cherry blossom-pink lips parted in a soft sigh of contentment.
The golden sunlight poured down on them, warm and comforting, not the least bit harsh.
As he watched Yukino gradually calm down, Kyousuke guided her toward a bench on the rooftop.
"Wait a second." Yukino pulled out a white handkerchief and carefully wiped the bench clean.
Kyousuke had so many questions he wanted to ask.
He wanted to knock on her forehead and ask her why she was so foolish, why she hadn't come to find him.
But when he opened his mouth, what came out was—
"Let's have lunch together."
"Mm!"
She responded instantly, the word slipping out before she could think. But just as quickly, her face fell and she lowered her head.
"Actually… maybe we shouldn't. Your girlfriend wouldn't be happy about that."
If another girl had said those words, they might have sounded like passive-aggressive flirting.
But coming from Yukino, it was like watching a puppy left out in the rain.
"Girlfriend?" Kyousuke suddenly realized why Yukino had run off earlier, even though she'd clearly been coming toward him.
"That girl who had her arm around you earlier… isn't she your girlfriend?" Her hesitant tone gave Kyousuke hope.
"I don't have a girlfriend, Yukino."
That was the one thing Kyousuke could declare with pride—back straight and voice loud.
And the more girls nearby, the louder he'd shout it.
"No girlfriend…" Yukino repeated under her breath. Then again.
She slowly lifted her head and stared at him with wide eyes.
"No girlfriend?"
He nodded. "Yeah!"
"Then I'm taking the afternoon off—I'm going home to make lunch." Yukino declared it on the spot.
She wasn't naive.
She could clearly see how close that other girl was with Kyousuke.
But she trusted him.
She had braced herself to be forcibly kept by his side if needed, because she knew—this man wouldn't lie about something like that.
"As much as I miss your cooking," Kyousuke said with a smile, patting her head, "how about you try mine today? I've learned from the best—you gave me the gift of making food that brings happiness."
Yukino, now practically purring like a cat under his hand, beamed.
"I wanna eat it!"
"Actually… why don't you just move in with me, sensei? That way you can eat my cooking anytime you like."
With a gift as overpowered as hers, he figured it wasn't impossible to think her cooking might someday even cure taste disorders.
If this were a game, her talent would be protagonist-level—mysterious and full of potential.
Shouko had her genius in science; Mitsuha had literal magical skills. And Yukino? Her cooking might one day actually shine.
"Move… in with Kyousuke-kun?" Yukino's mind blanked, overwhelmed by the sudden blast of joy.
"Don't worry. There are already a few girls living with me. That girl you saw earlier—Yamauchi Sakura—she's one of them."
"Oh…"
'But I wasn't worried at all…'
"Now that I've found you again at this school, I think it's time I resigned. I don't want to cause you any trouble." She had decided this from the beginning.
"Resign?"
It didn't take much for Kyousuke to understand what she meant.
In Japan, even though teacher-student romances were often romanticized in fiction, real-life tolerance for them was extremely low.
Not out of envy, but concern—teachers inherently hold power, and it's easy for society to assume manipulation.
He didn't try to change her mind right away.
Instead, he pulled out his phone and sent Kisaki a quick message, asking her to clean up the chaos he'd caused.
She was good at this kind of thing—flawless execution guaranteed.
"If you're not a teacher anymore… is there something else you'd like to do?"
If she had a dream, he wouldn't stop her.
He'd help her chase it.
Yukino fell silent.
Back in junior high, she had been inspired by the teacher who helped her—Miss Hinako.
That was the reason she had wanted to become a teacher herself.
To help students carrying trauma, the way she once had.
She studied hard, got into a university in Tokyo, and made her dream come true.
Even when life got tough, she never gave up on being a teacher.
It was how she'd met Kyousuke again—how she'd found hope.
If she could, she would have wanted to remain a teacher, watching over him quietly as he grew.
But dreams and reality rarely aligned.
One day, rumors would swirl, pressure would mount.
Kyousuke would fight it—he wasn't the type to back down—but she didn't want to be the reason he had to.
But if not teaching, then… what else could she do?
On the empty rooftop, a few pigeons waddled into the shade, fat and annoyed by the heat, eyeing the humans who had invaded their territory.
Kyousuke looked at the quiet woman beside him, and the tenderness in his heart deepened.
Yukino and Shouko were both gentle and strong in their own ways.
Shouko had chosen to face the world's cruelty head-on, turning pain into strength.
Yukino had chosen to run—burying her scars, refusing to let them define her.
He remembered telling Shouko: these girls were his anchors to reality.
They reminded him that he had the power to change someone's fate.
The first time he truly realized that, he'd trembled with excitement.
He knew harder days were coming.
But if the people around him could all lead beautiful, fulfilling lives, then no matter what, he would keep fighting.
Maybe, like Eriri said, he was a hopeless flirt—but never heartless. Never cold. So—
"Let's go to school together, sensei," he said gently. "If I can see you in the classroom, it'll make me happy."
No words could've hit deeper.
For a woman like her, with wounds buried so deep, this was the one thing that could reach her.
"But…" she hesitated.
"It's okay," he said, grinning. "Did you forget? I'm a god, remember?"
Yukino let out a soft laugh, thinking back to how he used to deny it in Itomori.
He may not be a god seated on a throne in Takamagahara—but to her, Yukino Yukari, he was a god all the same.
"Mmm!"
Together at home.
Together at school.
"Kyousuke-kun," Yukino called out with a bright, happy smile.
"Hm? What wrong?" Kyousuke turned toward her.
Yukino leaned in close, her breath tickling his ear as she whispered softly, "From now on... just call me Yukari, okay?"
Before Kyousuke could even respond, his lips were gently captured by Yukari's.
If Kyousuke didn't make a move… then this time, she'd be the one to chase after him. Actively. Boldly.