The Heroines All Regretted It

Utaha was livid. She just wanted Aki Tomoya to disappear from her sight immediately.

The farther, the better. Not even for a second more.

"Utaha-senpai… Eriri… Eriri hasn't been at school for nearly a week, that's why I…"

Seeing Utaha's expression turn darker, Tomoya quickly tried to explain.

He had some emotional intelligence, but not much.

Utaha was already furious—one sentence was enough.

Saying more just poured salt on the wound.

Tomoya thought he was clarifying things to calm her down, but it only made it worse.

Girls are emotional creatures. Logic won't get through to them.

"Utaha… senpai?"

Tomoya didn't dare leave without her response.

"It's fine, Aki-kun. Go ahead."

Utaha forced away the irritation on her face and answered him calmly.

The boy in front of her had slightly long, thick hair and wore large black-rimmed glasses. His body was thin, with no physical advantages—he looked exactly like a cuckolded protagonist from those certain kinds of manga.

"That's great! Thanks, Utaha-senpai!"

Tomoya smiled brightly, which only fueled Utaha's fury.

Then he ran off.

"Seriously! Aki-kun, you jerk!"

"So annoying—next time don't even show your face to me!"

Utaha didn't feel any better. In fact, she was even more pissed off now.

The reason?

Tomoya's every word and action screamed concern for Eriri—meticulous and full of care.

He even remembered how many days she'd been absent.

"Eriri, that kind of rich princess, probably has a private family doctor. Even if she needs a hospital, it's VIP service. Does she really need you to check on her?"

"Hmph, Aki-kun..."

Utaha rubbed her forehead with her soft, fair fingers and grumbled in frustration.

When it came to her own problems, why didn't he show the same concern?

And her situation was way more serious than Eriri not showing up to school.

"Just who the hell has been stalking me?"

"If I catch them, I swear I won't let them off easy. I've been suffering from nervous breakdowns all semester, damn it!"

Utaha's anger at Tomoya was quickly buried under something else.

Come on!

She was a top-tier beauty, a young high school JK.

From the frenzy of stalking at the start of the semester to it tapering off a bit, the feeling of being watched still lingered from time to time—it had lasted a whole semester.

Every time she walked out of the school gate, from Shuchiin's front to the edge of the shopping street and all the way to the station, that disgusting pervert would follow.

Who could stand that?

"I thought it was Kitakami at first, but he's too fat, so it's not him..."

Utaha muttered while walking to a vending machine, buying a drink and taking a sip.

The sweet and tangy flavor helped her calm down just a little.

Elsewhere—

Yoru was sitting in the train carriage, holding two neatly wrapped boxes and thinking about how to give them out.

Should he give them in person?

It was just a gift of thanks—not a confession or anything. Yukino probably wouldn't reject it.

And it would be more respectful.

Yeah, in person. The other one he could give to Megumi later, or even to his mom, Megumi.

It was only two stops—he arrived quickly.

He got off and walked a short distance home.

Along the way, he ran into Nanami.

"Aoyama-san..."

Yoru called out to her from behind.

"Good afternoon, Yoru-kun."

Hearing the familiar voice, Aoyama Nanami quickly turned around and gave a small smile.

She stopped in place, waiting for Yoru to catch up.

"You're not working this afternoon?"

Yoru knew Nanami had been working hard at her part-time job.

"I quit half an hour ago, so I'm not working anymore..."

Nanami subtly moved a bit away from Yoru, keeping a bit of distance.

"Why?"

Yoru blinked in surprise, curious.

"Finals are coming up. I want to focus on studying and get the best grades I can~"

"Besides, think about it—summer break's coming up. A month and a half is plenty of time for part-time work. No need to rush, right?"

Nanami smiled lightly, brushing away the strands of hair stuck to her temple with sweat.

It was summer, and the weather was hot.

While working, she wore Shuchiin's black heat-absorbing uniform under a supermarket's reflective vest.

Running around in the blazing sun had made her sweat a lot.

Her uniform clung to her smooth back, soaked in sweat.

The brown loafers paired with her uniform weren't breathable either, and her black socks were stuffy.

Nanami felt a little sticky and uncomfortable.

She kept her distance from Yoru mostly because she didn't want him to smell her sweat.

That would be way too embarrassing.

"You've got a point, but I remember high school students aren't supposed to work more than..."

"More than how many hours again?"

Yoru asked curiously.

The two walked into the residential area, heading back to their apartment building.

"Hehehe~"

"No more than 28 hours per week. No adult services. Can't work past 10 PM."

Nanami laughed like she remembered something funny.

"But you work ten hours just on weekends, don't you?"

"And you're working mornings and afternoons on weekdays too..."

Yoru recalled how Nanami would leave early and come home late, with almost no time to rest.

"Well, if I don't say it, who would know?"

Nanami clasped her small hands behind her back and rolled her eyes at the sky.

Yoru stayed silent, inwardly impressed by the beautiful girl next to him.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the apartment building and went their separate ways.

Nanami, carrying her schoolbag, slowly climbed the stairs.

She pulled out her keys and opened the door to her apartment.

"Ahhh~"

"So tired~"

"Finally, a few days to rest~"

As soon as she stepped inside, Nanami dropped the act. Her whole body radiated exhaustion.

Her facial expression collapsed completely.

She casually tossed her schoolbag aside, sat on the entry step, and began taking off her shoes.

"My feet are soaked with sweat from running around all day."

She hooked the back of her shoes with her index fingers and easily slipped them off.

Her socked feet, clad in black cotton ankle socks, released a faint coolness after being trapped all day.

She slowly rolled her socks down and took them off.

A pair of flawless, slightly moist, white feet were revealed.

Even though Nanami often ran around for her part-time job, her feet were surprisingly well cared for, showing no signs of yellowing or calluses.

No doubt, they were a perfect pair of beautiful feet.

"So sore..."

She sniffed the black socks and immediately grimaced in disgust, wrinkling her delicate little nose.

Girls tend to be more hygiene-conscious.

In truth, they didn't smell that bad—just a faint scent, nothing overwhelming, like the right seasoning for a dish.

...

The day before final exams—Friday.

Today, Yoru woke up a little earlier than usual.

He sat on his small bed for a while, then went to wash up.

In the mirror, it was clear the fat on his face had noticeably thinned.

A person who had been morbidly obese was now nearing the "severely obese" category, right on the edge.

Gurgle gurgle~

After spitting out toothpaste, Yoru wiped his face with a towel and cleaned up the apartment.

Once done, he made breakfast and set it aside.

He pulled out the yoga mat and began his usual aerobic workout.

At this stage of his weight loss, Yoru had clearly adjusted his plan.

Jumping jacks now targeted his full body fat better than planks.

Originally, due to his extreme size, he had focused on planks.

Now, he was gradually increasing his number of jumping jacks.

More than half an hour later...

He started eating breakfast. He emptied his backpack, leaving only the notes Yukino had given him.

Then he placed a delicate gift box containing a white beret inside.

"Still sleeping, huh~"

Before leaving, he gently patted San-san's round head. She'd become a ball.

Gabriel surprisingly got up early, showing no signs of staying up late.

"Looks like you actually care about the finals, Gabriel..."

Yoru nodded slightly.

"What, do you care?"

"Not really."

Gabriel wasn't lying. Her mind had already shifted back to gacha pulls.

"I'm doing okay. I'd have panicked before, but not now."

Yoru wasn't nervous or stressed. Finals didn't weigh much on his mind.

That said, he did want to use the finals to see how much he had really improved.

After being absent from school for a month and a half, he'd missed a lot of lessons. His previous tutoring was just laying the foundation.

The finals would be like inspecting the house.

He wanted to see if he had made progress—or fallen behind.

The tenfold effort buff had clearly taken effect—it was powerful.

As for the Little Luck magical buff, Yoru hadn't really noticed any luck.

He hadn't gotten discounts while shopping or found any money.

But that wasn't the point.

What mattered was that the buff helped him avoid danger.

That was the real value.

"That box from Sawamura covered a lot..."

Yoru thought about the treasure chest he'd opened from Eriri.

Avoiding danger was great, but it wouldn't protect him from doing something dumb.

Danger meant falling objects from tall buildings, traffic accidents.

Doing something dumb would be, for example, barging into Shinomiya Kaguya's house and treating her the same way he treated Eriri.

That would be suicidal.

As for the magical power... he hadn't felt a thing.

No one would like a disgusting fat otaku like him anyway.

"Maybe I can lose a lot more weight during summer vacation?"

"What will I look like by then?"

"And I've still got four golden treasure chests waiting to be opened. What kinds of amazing rewards are in store?"

"Hayasaka Ai, Kirisu Mafuyu, Kasumigaoka Utaha, Shinomiya Kaguya..."

With different thoughts in mind, Yoru and Gabriel arrived at Shuchiin.

Shortly after, they split up and went to their respective buildings.

On the floor where his classroom was located, Yoru slowed his steps and tilted his head.

"Sawamura's not here yet?"

He was slightly surprised, but not too shocked.

After all, he was huge.

Yeah...

His body size.

"With finals tomorrow, Eriri will probably show up."

He muttered under his breath and entered the classroom through the back door.

The morning study session hadn't started yet.

Most students were quietly studying on their own.

A few were whispering softly.

There were no formal classes that morning—just self-study.

After hanging up his bag, Yoru sat down as usual and stared out the window, thinking about something else.

He didn't have Yukino's contact info.

He'd have to catch her after school to give her the white beret.

"Hey, Yumiko, how about we go to the beach after finals?"

"All of us! Summer beaches are the best..."

Tobe Kakeru swapped seats with Yumiko and spoke among the popular group.

After saying that, he subtly glanced at Ebina. His thoughts were fully on her, though his eyes lingered on Yumiko.

"Huh? But I wanna sing karaoke... Tokyo beaches aren't even that nice." Yumiko hesitated.

"The sea at Kamakura in Kanagawa is pretty good. Lots of foreign tourists go there in summer," said Yamato from the group.

"We can go during summer break. What about Yui and Hina?" Tobe turned to Yuigahama and Ebina with hope in his eyes.

"As long as Yumiko and Yui are in, I'm fine with it."

Ebina paused, then added, "Hot summer days, shirtless hunks at the beach, rubbing together to ignite love..."

"Hina..." Yui groaned. Her fujoshi bestie was acting up again.

"I'm okay with it," Hayato said with a smile.

Their conversation was quiet, but Yoru was sitting too close and heard it all.

...

The morning passed quickly.

During self-study, no teachers were around.

Yoru left the classroom one minute early through the back door.

As he reached downstairs, the final bell rang.

He had already changed his shoes and stepped outside.

He wasn't in a rush—he wanted to buy a black coffee outside.

His usual vending machine was out of stock, so he settled for a bottle of juice instead.

After a sip, he picked a quiet, shaded spot and waited patiently.

After a while, students began pouring out of the building.

In the crowd, Yoru spotted Yukino walking alone.

To avoid embarrassing her and attracting strange looks from others, he kept signaling to her with his eyes as she approached.

He was a gross, fat otaku. Going up to the school's most unattainable beauty?

What would others think?

If people found out, his peaceful days would be over. There were plenty of guys secretly in love with Yukino.

"Hmm?"

Very quickly, Yukino noticed Yoru's gaze and frowned slightly in confusion.

Yoru signaled for her to come over and follow him.

After a brief hesitation, Yukinoshita Yukino walked toward him.

Her older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, was coming to pick her up, so she couldn't linger too long.

Once they were in a secluded spot, Yukino watched curiously as Yoru rummaged through his bag.

"What's that?"

Her eyes were drawn to the delicate gift box Yoru pulled out.

"It's a gift for the end of the semester. Just wanted to thank you."

The box was well-preserved without any dents. Yoru examined it carefully and then handed it over.

"Oh?"

Yukino looked surprised, her small mouth slightly open.

From the outside, there was no way to tell that the box contained a white beret.

"Thanks for the notes, Yukinoshita-san, and for helping explain things every day."

Yoru smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

"What's inside?"

Yukino glanced at the gift box, then at Yoru, but didn't reject it.

"Open it and see for yourself. That's how gifts work."

Yoru offered the box.

"This the thing you were looking for Yuigahama for earlier?"

Yukino tilted her head slightly as she took the gift, her tone indifferent.

"More or less."

Yoru nodded.

"Would've been better if you brought San-san over so I could pet her."

Yukino sighed quietly and opened the box. Deep down, she thought:

Compared to the gift, Yoru's San-san was more appealing.

I really miss her~

Even if Sansan were sick, it would be nice to see that little chubby cat.

But Yukino would rather she stayed healthy.

The gift inside caught her a bit off guard.

"A hat?"

"A white… beret?"

Yukino picked it up and studied it.

In Japanese culture, it's considered polite to open gifts in front of the giver and give a compliment.

"How is it?"

Yoru couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Kasumigaoka Utaha liked this beret too—Yukino probably wouldn't think it looked bad.

"It's nice. I really like it."

Yukino nodded lightly and accepted the gift.

"Didn't expect you to give me something like this, Kitakami-kun. It's a good surprise, thanks."

She looked up and added,

"As long as you like it."

Yoru let out a breath of relief.

"I'll get going now. Don't slack off these next few days."

Yukino reminded him and then turned to leave.

Watching her go, Yoru felt pretty good.

"This is the first time I've gotten a gift."

After Yukino left, her whole demeanor changed. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

Of course, she didn't count the generic holiday gifts from suitors, relatives, or classmates where everyone got something.

As for liking it—she really did. The white beret was beautiful and suited her.

She planned to wear it.

Since she'd already accepted it, why care who it was from?

"Has Nee-san been waiting long?"

Yukino stepped down the stairs from Shuchiin's front gate, her icy blue eyes scanning for her family's car.

Many parents had come to pick up their children.

"Maybe it's in the back?"

She slowly walked toward the parking spaces behind the school.

In the driver's seat of a white Audi A4 sat Yukinoshita Haruno's car.

"Yukino's still not out?"

"Mom probably has dinner ready already."

Haruno rested her cheek on her hand, staring at her reflection in the rearview mirror, bored.

She and Yukino were sisters, not twins, but looked about 70–80% alike.

Looking at Yukino often reminded her of herself.

"Sigh… I just want Yukino to have a peaceful university life."

Haruno suddenly sighed and shook her head.

She was still a college student, but she had to juggle school and help their mother run the family's real estate business. The burden on her shoulders was too heavy.

Things weren't supposed to turn out like this.

Haruno's thoughts drifted to the painful past.

In middle school, their father died in a car accident.

Along with him, they lost a small-time political seat and the family's only male figure—the pillar of their household.

Left behind were a beautiful mother and two daughters, vulnerable and eyed by wolves who claimed they wanted to "take care of them."

With the loss of their political background, their just-stabilizing real estate business suffered too, falling into crisis.

Years later, thanks to their mother's clever management and leveraging every connection from their retired grandfather, the company barely recovered.

Even now, despite what outsiders say about the Yukinoshita family's real estate developments, the truth is they only participate in joint ventures.

The major profits go to others—they barely scrape the leftovers.

The company isn't stable, nor is it collapsing. It walks a fine line.

Since their father's death, their mother changed.

She took full control over Yukino and Haruno's education, choices, and future.

Simply put, their lives were now dictated entirely by their mother.

Like noble children in ancient times.

Haruno hoped her little sister wouldn't repeat her mistakes—she hoped Yukino could live her own life.

A minute later...

Yukino spotted her sister's car and approached. She opened the door.

"Sorry for being late, Nee-san."

Haruno instantly changed expressions—faster than an opera face change.

"Let's go."

Haruno grinned cheerfully. As she started the car, she noticed the white beret Yukino was holding and casually asked,

"A gift from a friend?"

Yukino hesitated, then replied calmly, "Yeah."

"Was it from that Yuigahama girl?"

"You know, the one with the bun on her head?" Haruno asked.

"No," Yukino shook her head softly.

"So Yukino made a new friend?" Haruno was curious and genuinely happy for her.

If only she knew that Yukino's "friend" was Yoru—what kind of reaction would she have?

...

Yoru walked a bit slower, standing by the trash bin as he finished his juice.

After tossing the empty bottle, he left.

Unbeknownst to him, someone was already watching him with wicked intent.

"That's him—the big fat guy, Gabriel's only human friend."

"They live nearby, go to school together, hang out—must be close."

"Hehehe... a mere angel, once she meets the great Satania, she'll regret everything!"

"Ahahahahaha~ ahahahaha~"

The idiotic demon cackled to herself, fantasizing about stepping on Gabriel and ascending to become the ruler of the demon realm.

Below her, countless people cheered, worshipping and calling her name with fervent devotion:

Kurumizawa Satanichia McDowell!

"Now that I have an evil plan, ahahaha~"

Satania stopped laughing, locked her eyes on Yoru, and just as she took a step to follow him, burst into laughter again.

Her cute little fangs were fully exposed.

After much brainstorming, Satania had finally come up with a perfect two-birds-one-stone evil plan.

Now that she saw Yoru again, she could put it into action!

Satania gleefully moved to catch up.

"Satania, wait up! Don't walk so fast!"

Vignette's voice came from behind her.

Satania turned, waved, and said a few words.

But in those brief seconds, when she looked back again—

Yoru was gone.

Thankfully, her evil plan could wait for another time...

...

Outside the school, the gates were nearly empty.

Yoru didn't have lunch and didn't cook either.

On the way, he grabbed a simple meal in the nearly deserted shopping district and replied to his parents' concerned messages.

He dawdled for a while, rested after eating, then finally went to pay the bill.

It wasn't expensive—just under 1,000 yen for a plain set meal.

By now, there weren't many people left on the street.

Yoru scrolled through news on his phone as he silently walked toward the end of the shopping district.

He was almost at the station.

That's when he saw a girl wearing the middle school uniform of Shuchiin Academy riding an old bike toward him. She had silver-white hair and a cool, expressionless face.

Two heavy grocery bags hung from the bike's handlebars, filled to the brim with food.

"Stupid big bro. If you want that attendance bonus, just finish the student council work already instead of making your little sister run around for you."

"Seriously~"

Shirogane Kei pedaled hard, but the two bags on the handlebars kept throwing off her balance.

"So hot... After this delivery, there are still three more... I'll finally get that full-attendance bonus, right?"

She kept grumbling, but deep down, she didn't really mind.

Her family wasn't well-off. Her brother, Shirogane Miyuki, often worked part-time jobs to help with expenses.

Sometimes, Kei would help out by delivering newspapers.

Since Shirogane was a student at Shuchiin, he could only take part-time jobs near the school.

As student council president, he was often busy and barely had time for himself.

Recently, he'd started working for a delivery platform—running errands, picking up and delivering items.

The platform offered a bonus for perfect attendance.

But with finals coming up, student council duties were piling up. Shirogane was worried he wouldn't have time to complete enough deliveries to earn the bonus.

It was a pretty generous bonus, after all.

So Kei volunteered to help, braving the scorching midday sun to make deliveries.

She was focused on the road when she suddenly turned her head toward the sidewalk.

She was riding close to the inner side of the street to avoid the sun.

That's when she saw a gross, fat otaku blocking her path.

As her bike rolled forward, their eyes happened to meet.

Kei flinched slightly, and her bike wobbled a bit, but not enough to lose control.

She didn't notice anything unusual.

Instead, she remembered a rumor from school.

A gross, fat otaku from the high school division had allegedly stolen senior Kasumigaoka-senpai's stockings and panties during the spring field trip... and had even drooled over her legs on the bus.

"Wasn't that him just now? He's been staring at me the whole time!"

As Kei passed by Yoru, she didn't feel scared or uncomfortable—just curious.

Then the front wheel of her bike hit a small rock, and it jolted violently.

She didn't think much of it, but the handlebars began to shake uncontrollably.

"Crap!"

By the time Kei realized what was happening, it was too late—she had lost control of the bike.

The problem was those two heavy grocery bags. The momentum from their swinging made it impossible to stabilize.

Yoru, still in disbelief that even a middle schooler knew about his reputation, stared as she looked directly at him.

Three seconds later—

A loud metallic crash rang out behind him.

The sound of a bike hitting the ground.

"Pfft..."

Yoru turned around and couldn't help but laugh.

Kei had fallen squarely on her butt. The bike was on top of her legs, and the grocery bags had spilled their contents everywhere.

The sight was kind of ridiculous.

Just a moment ago, she was a cool, silver-haired beauty.

The sound of laughter reached Kei's ears, and she instantly felt embarrassed. She turned to glare at Yoru.

Her pale hands grabbed the bike and pushed hard.

A tingling sensation shot through her elbow—she had no strength.

And the movement caused pain in her tailbone and legs, making her wince involuntarily.

Worse still, a fat otaku was nearby.

Kei felt humiliated. She didn't dare look back again and clenched her teeth as she tried to get up once more.

Still no luck.

"Ugh!"

She was frustrated, upset, and nearly in despair.

"Do you need help?"

Yoru had been planning to walk away, but seeing her struggle, he stopped.

Even now, he didn't forget his place as a gross otaku, so he didn't go over immediately.

If only he were handsome...

If Kei rejected him, he'd take it as shyness or awkwardness and leave without a word.

Helping someone in trouble wasn't that strange anyway.

Come to think of it, he'd been running into a lot of pretty girls lately.

First it was Ichinose Honami, now this silver-haired girl.

Was this some kind of magical luck at work?

"Can you?"

Kei hesitated for a second, then looked at him for help.

She wasn't the type to act delicate.

"Yeah."

Yoru walked over without another word, grabbed the bike, lifted it, and set down the kickstand.

"Thanks~"

Kei thanked him while curiously looking him over.

Just because there weren't many people around didn't mean there were none. She wasn't worried.

Yoru made sure the bike was stable, nodded, and turned to leave.

Wouldn't she pick up her groceries herself?

"W-Wait... can you help me up too? Sorry to trouble you."

Kei had tried to stand again, but the pain was still there, and she had no strength.

She didn't want to sit on the ground for minutes or longer. It was too embarrassing.

Yoru didn't say anything. He just took off his backpack and held it out to her.

Kei stared in confusion, eyes full of questions.

"Grab the bag. I'll pull you up."

Yoru explained with a sigh.

"Oh?! Oh—okay."

Kei thought she looked ridiculous right now. Her ears turned a bit red as she grabbed the backpack with both hands.

The next moment, a strong pull lifted her up in one go.

"Whew..."

Kei quickly grabbed her bike for support, let go of the bag, and started breathing heavily.

She gave Yoru a grateful look.

She had thought he'd grab her hand and pull her up.

Yoru just gave a small nod and walked away.

"How strange..."

Kei frowned slightly and watched him until he disappeared, then slowly began cleaning up the mess.

Determined to earn that platform bonus, she pushed on with her exhausting work.

Shirogane finished his student council duties around 4 p.m. and finally came home.

"Damn it, cramps again..."

Shirogane took off his shoes and stepped into their shabby little apartment, grumbling.

He soon noticed the cotton swabs with iodine and antiseptic in the trash and rushed into Kei's room in alarm.

"What the hell?! You scared me."

Kei was lying on her stomach, legs kicking lazily in the air as she read a book, and looked up annoyed.

"You're hurt. Are you okay?" Shirogane asked anxiously.

"Idiot. Do I look hurt? Just a scrape. A little cut," Kei snapped without much warmth.

"I said—"

Shirogane didn't seem to hear. He instantly switched to naggy old-man mode and started lecturing.

"Enough already! Stop talking!"

Kei covered her ears, annoyed. She hated being lectured by her brother.

Eventually, Shirogane quieted down.

Kei seemed to remember something and told him about Yoru.

"Him?"

"Even if he helped you, just thank him and keep your distance."

"If you see him again, stay away."

Shirogane remembered Yoru from last semester. They had shared a desk.

He was just being cautious, giving his sister proper advice.

"Okay."

Kei replied indifferently.

This was the age of rebellion.

Tell them no, and they'll do the opposite.

Seeing her attitude, Shirogane started nagging again...

…

The first day of exams began at 9 a.m.

The first exam began.

For finals, Shuchiin Academy had things well planned.

What would usually be two days of exams was spread out over four, to give students plenty of rest and help reduce pre-test anxiety and sleeplessness.

Gabriel, Yoru, and Nanami walked together under the morning sun, heading to Shuchiin.

"None of you are nervous?"

Nanami had gotten good rest, but couldn't help feeling a little anxious.

"Nope."

Yoru and Gabriel replied in sync, almost too perfectly.

Their eyes met in surprise.

They had arrived quite early—an hour before the exam started.

The three of them split up at the school gate to head to their own exam rooms.

On the way, Yoru grabbed a juice and went straight to the exam room, since there was nowhere else to wait—all classrooms had been requisitioned.

At the exam room entrance, Yoru went through a quick security check: a metal detector, a search of his pencil case, and a review of his test tools before he was allowed in.

Once inside, if he left, he would have to be searched again to return.

Very strict.

The desks were spaced far apart.

Yoru found the seat labeled with his name and sat down, glancing around.

"Is that him?"

Yoru and Tomoya both thought the same thing.

Wasn't that the guy who jumped out in Akihabara before, accusing him of stalking Kasumigaoka Utaha?

Did he have some connection with her?

Yoru was the first to look away.

Tomoya adjusted his glasses, thinking of something else.

Yesterday, he had gone to visit Eriri, but she hadn't been home.

Today, luck was on his side. He ran into her at the school gate and rushed over to say hi.

But Eriri had deliberately avoided him like she was scared of something.

"She must be worried people will misunderstand if I talk to her at school. Typical Eriri."

Tomoya thought casually, completely unaware that the cute childhood friend he treated like a treasure had already become something entirely different—this disgusting otaku sitting next to him.

Tomoya was still quietly feeling smug, completely oblivious.

If he wanted, all he had to do was nod.

That perfect, elegant, cold, most popular beauty in the school would be his.

Even Eriri, the cute and proud one, was an option.

Unfortunately, Tomoya wasn't normal. He hadn't even held hands with either Kasumigaoka or Eriri.

Still, he felt smugly superior and quietly looked down on Yoru.

If he ever found out the truth about Eriri, he'd probably cough up three liters of blood in rage.

And Yoru didn't know Eriri liked Tomoya, nor did he know how important that detail was. He didn't realize that the thing Eriri feared most was Tomoya finding out.

Maybe, to keep it hidden, she'd be willing to do anything.

Yoru had mind-reading powers, but he didn't use them recklessly.

Still, maybe one day he'd find out.

With his streak of lucky coincidences...

While Tomoya was thinking about Eriri, so was Yoru.

"I wonder if Sawamura's here. It's finals—she probably is... I think her exam room is..."

Yoru started searching on his phone.

The school forum had posted the full seating chart.

"She's in the third-year building?"

Yoru put his phone away and glanced at Tomoya.

Their eyes met, and Yoru instantly saw the contempt and disdain in his gaze.

"What are you looking at me like that for?"

Yoru wasn't about to let it slide. He shot back immediately.

He wasn't the same loser everyone used to push around anymore.

"You..."

Tomoya was startled, half-standing to respond.

"What?"

Yoru casually clenched his massive fists.

Tomoya froze, instantly glued to his seat.

Yoru muttered a curse—something he'd wanted to say back in Akihabara.

He didn't bother hiding it. Tomoya heard every word. Anger flared inside him, but he didn't dare retaliate.

He could only seethe silently, imagining Kasumigaoka and Eriri both in love with him to boost his ego.

Sooner or later, Yoru would get expelled from Shuchiin.

No need to get mad over a dead man walking...

Yoru took another sip of juice and remembered that artbook he had once picked up.

He'd try to retrieve it over summer break when he had time.

He didn't know who the artist was—it had been lost.

But usually, an artist's style is distinct, especially a hentai artist's.

Whether it's "I Fell in Love with Teacher"'s sharp-eyed expressions, or Mizuryuu Kei's distorted faces...

If he compared them, he might figure out who the artist was.

Time passed.

Two proctors arrived. Everyone, including Yoru, turned in their phones. The exam began.

The first subject was geography.

What kind of climate does Japan have?

A humid oceanic climate...

Yoru answered questions while occasionally scratching his head in thought.

Tomoya watched, once again looking down on him—and growing more hostile.

"Tch. This is all he can do. He had the nerve to steal Utaha-senpai's panties and stockings... as if any girl would like him."

"Disgusting..."

Tomoya's possessiveness kicked in. He saw Yoru as someone who had violated what was his—Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Seventy minutes later, the test ended.

There was a 15-minute break.

Yoru didn't leave. He just laid his head on the desk.

Next was world history, then he could go home.

Even knowing he wasn't doing well, Yoru still gave it his all.

Once the exam ended, he retrieved his phone and left the room.

The third-year building was farther in.

Yoru made his way there and ran into students leaving from that area.

He pushed through the crowd.

Finally, among the stream of students, he spotted those iconic golden twin tails.

Eriri had already noticed him. He was hard to miss—large and imposing. She shrank into the crowd in fear.

Blame her looks—too cute, too eye-catching, constantly drawing attention.

Right now, Eriri wished she weren't so popular.

Wherever she went, eyes followed.

Yoru approached, eyes fixed on her, and subtly shot her a glance, signaling her to go elsewhere.

Eriri's heart was in her throat. It was impossible not to notice.

That look—she knew it. Yoru had used it during that game of King's Orders.

What was he planning?

He... he wouldn't dare.

Disgusting, perverted foot-freak!

Die, you fat pig! Get hit by a truck and die!

Eriri cursed him viciously in her heart, but still followed, mind in chaos.

She was afraid Yoru was obsessed with her body and might...

The worst part? He actually was thinking something along those lines.

...