After arriving at school today, Shin was once again summoned to the office by Hiratsuka Shizuka—something that hadn't happened in a while.
In the past, Shin had been an exemplary student in the eyes of his teachers, thanks to his good grades and a few close friends in class. As a result, he was rarely called into the office alone, and Hiratsuka Shizuka had no particular issues with him, nor did she go out of her way to hassle him.
But recently, it seemed that Shin had been stirring up quite a bit of attention—enough to affect other students—which forced Hiratsuka to call him in.
"Shin, I knew you were popular, but I didn't expect it to reach this level..."
Sitting in her chair, Hiratsuka stared at Shin with a complicated expression, as if she couldn't quite understand why his popularity had skyrocketed lately. From her perspective, he didn't seem much different from a few weeks ago, yet suddenly, so many girls were swarming around him.
After scrutinizing him carefully, the only noticeable change was that he seemed more confident.
But that wasn't why she had called him here today.
"There's been way too much talk about you recently—whether it's the girls you know from Shuchi'in Academy, or people like Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri..."
Hiratsuka sighed before continuing, "I don't know how many other girls you're acquainted with, but I'd like you to be a little more mindful and avoid causing any more disturbances."
"Is there a problem with me communicating normally with my classmates? Sure, Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri might be a bit physically affectionate, but it's not like they've crossed any lines, right?"
Shin smiled as he retorted—though he now had the power to break the rules, he had never actually violated any school regulations.
His interactions with the two girls from Shuchi'in—Ai Hayasaka and Chika Fujiwara—had been perfectly normal at the school gates. He had never done anything inappropriate there.
Well, anything truly inappropriate happened in much more private locations, far from school, so it wasn't like he was disturbing anyone.
As for Eriri and Utaha Kasumigaoka, all they did yesterday was link arms with him in front of some classmates. That was hardly a big deal.
He and Eriri had done far more scandalous things in the art club's classroom—but of course, he wasn't about to mention that to Hiratsuka.
"Well, it's not exactly rule-breaking... but because of you, a lot of students have been completely distracted, and it's becoming a problem."
Hiratsuka shook her head, looking troubled.
"You know how popular Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri are, right...?"
Shin understood immediately—both Eriri and Utaha Kasumigaoka were exceptionally beautiful and talented, naturally attracting many admirers at school. Now that they were openly clinging to Shin at the school gates, it was only natural that some students would feel a void in their hearts.
"Ah, I see. So it's the saltiness of single guys."
Shin stroked his chin, succinctly summarizing the emotional state of the affected students.
Seeing another guy being so popular made them feel unbalanced, affecting their mental state and even their academic performance.
"...Well, you're not wrong, but I'd still like you to be a bit more considerate of single people's feelings."
Hiratsuka was momentarily at a loss for words. She had to admit Shin's assessment was spot-on—but that didn't mean she liked it.
The reason was simple: Hiratsuka herself was a single woman in her late twenties!
Though she was undeniably attractive, her personality and hobbies were far too "uncle-like," coupled with a slight tendency toward violence, which had left her single to this day.
Of course, with her qualifications, she could probably find someone if she lowered her standards a bit—but she clearly wasn't the type to settle.
"Alright, that's all I wanted to say! If any school administrators ask you about this later, just tell them we've already discussed it."
Perhaps wounded by Shin's remark, Hiratsuka waved him off wearily, letting him leave.
Dammit... I came here to lecture a student, but instead, I'm the one who got tilted. How frustrating.
---
"Shin, what did Hiratsuka-sensei call you in for just now?"
Upon returning to the classroom, Megumi Kato, sitting in the front row, predictably turned around and asked Shin with curiosity.
The whole class had seen him being called to the office, so naturally, they were all wondering if he had done something wrong.
Shin shrugged and relayed what Hiratsuka had told him.
Sure enough, after hearing his explanation, Megumi's expression turned serious.
"I think Hiratsuka-sensei has a point. You really should be more mindful of your influence and not get too close to other girls."
"Oh? So I should only get close to you, then?"
Shin chuckled and reached out to pinch Megumi's cheek—soft and supple, just as a beautiful girl's skin should be.
However, thanks to Megumi's naturally low presence, she didn't attract the same attention as Utaha Kasumigaoka or Eriri. Only Shin seemed to notice her.
"If Shin is willing, then of course that would be ideal."
Megumi didn't swat his hand away, letting Shin continue pinching her cheek as she spoke in a slightly muffled voice.
"Oh, by the way, I've already told my family about wanting to move out, and they agreed."
Clearly, Megumi was fully prepared to move in with Shin—and her parents were surprisingly open-minded.
Scarily open-minded, in fact.
Letting their daughter move in with a man? Most parents would never agree to that.
Fortunately, thanks to Megumi's low presence, none of their classmates overheard this conversation—otherwise, it would've caused another uproar.
"So, when are you planning to move in?"
Shin nodded, releasing her cheek and gently brushing her bangs aside.
Megumi seemed to enjoy his touch, not resisting but instead responding like a contented cat, her eyes half-lidded.
"I was thinking tomorrow, if that's okay with you?"
She knew Shin's household already had quite a few girls living there, so she wanted to avoid causing any unnecessary trouble.
"Then come over tomorrow."
Shin smiled.
Though there were already several girls at his place, none of them accompanied him to school.
If Megumi moved in, at least he'd have some company on the way to class.
To be continued…