Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School had a total of three dormitory buildings, one for each grade level, with each grade living separately. However, boys and girls shared the same buildings—boys on the lower floors, girls on the upper floors.
While this setup sounded a bit like tenement housing from the Industrial Revolution, the students here each enjoyed a private apartment-style room. Judging by the luxurious appearance alone, this was an impressive living condition for any high school student.
After purchasing the ingredients he needed, Kitagawa Ryo returned to the dorm with Shiina Hiyori. Since dorm assignments wouldn't change for the next three years, these rooms effectively became each student's home.
Upon presenting his student ID, Ryo received his key card labeled 408 from the front desk attendant, along with a handbook detailing dorm regulations. Hiyori's room was 1204. After entering the elevator together, they parted ways—Ryo, whose room was on a lower floor, unlocked his door alone.
Flipping through the handbook on the way, he noted the important bits like garbage disposal schedules. The rest were basic reminders—no loud noise, avoid excessive water or electricity use. Interestingly, the school covered all utility costs, including electricity, water, and gas, without deducting points—a surprisingly generous arrangement.
"Romantic relationships not suitable for high school students are prohibited."
Ryo pondered that line, unsure what "not suitable" meant. Public displays of affection, perhaps?
Using his key to enter, he found the room to be about four tsubo (roughly 13 square meters). Small, yet complete with a bedroom, living area, kitchen, bathroom, and shower. It even came equipped with basic appliances like a fridge and air conditioning. Beds were already made, making it truly move-in ready.
He sorted the newly bought items into the kitchen, bathroom, and shower area. To his relief, the kitchen was already stocked with essential seasonings—enough for basic cooking.
Among the ingredients he bought, Ryo had spotted blueberries. While typically in season during July and August, thanks to greenhouse cultivation, they were occasionally available in April. They were pricey, but today, he had a special purpose.
He wasn't planning to just eat them raw. He intended to make a blueberry pie for Shiina Hiyori. Reflecting on the girls he'd met, they all seemed to have an unusual passion for sweets. As he washed the ingredients, he mentally reviewed the steps of pie-making.
Mixing cake flour, sugar, and melted butter before adding water and kneading the dough. A few minutes into the process, he heard someone enter the room. Assuming it was Hiyori returning from upstairs, he called out casually, telling her to turn on the TV and make herself comfortable.
With the sound of the television playing behind him, Ryo set the dough aside to rest. He sampled a few blueberries—slightly sour, likely due to being off-season. To balance the flavor, he decided to add a sweet cream cheese filling.
He beat cream and cheese with sugar until smooth, added an egg, then poured in heavy cream and milk. Blending in crushed blueberries, he rolled out the rested dough, pressed it into the pan, filled it with the mixture, and placed it in the oven to bake at 180°C for 35 minutes.
Feeling satisfied, Ryo stepped out of the kitchen.
"Hello?"
The girl sitting comfortably on his sofa watching TV greeted him with a sweet smile—as though she were the actual owner of the room.
Even indoors, she wore a small grey-brown beret. Her short silver hair peeked from beneath it, and her delicate, fairy-like features radiated innocence. She looked more like a pure little girl than a high school student.
If only her name weren't Sakayanagi Arisu.
[If there's anything more troublesome than dealing with Sakayanagi...]
Ryo's dull, lifeless gaze drifted toward his door. He had already foreseen the disaster to come.
"Something held me up."
Shiina Hiyori, now changed into her loungewear, was on her way into Ryo's room, looking innocently unaware of what awaited.
[Actually, come to think of it, I did make two portions of the blueberry pie. If I don't eat any, it might be enough to go around.]
Having given up on rational thought, Ryo was now mulling over completely unrelated matters.
Meanwhile, Sakayanagi Arisu looked up and met eyes with the newly arrived Shiina Hiyori.
[Both of them have silvery-white hair… Maybe they'll find some common ground.]
"I believe my life still has value—at least until the blueberry pie is ready."
Ryo declared this with the air of a man making one last plea for survival.
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The blueberry pie smelled amazing, especially when eaten fresh out of the oven. The soft and sweet cheese, paired with the tart blueberries and the rich, buttery crust, made for a delightful dessert that was both indulgent and not overly heavy. The texture was smooth, creamy, and full of flavor—
Unfortunately, all of the above came solely from Kitagawa Ryo's imagination.
As Sakayanagi Arisu elegantly cut herself a piece of the blueberry pie, she silently swatted away Ryo's hand, which had been inching forward toward the pie. She smiled politely, silently indicating that the convenience store bread in the bag beside him was his real lunch.
"Ryo really wants a bite, huh?"
Compared to a certain silver-haired devil, Shiina Hiyori was clearly more considerate. She proactively moved her plate as if offering Ryo a piece.
Just as Ryo was about to get emotional, Hiyori retracted her plate and pouted:
"If she weren't here, you would've been able to eat it, right?"
"So it's your problem, Ryo. You go solve it yourself."
And thus, the awkward silence returned to the dining table. The girls continued enjoying their dessert, while Ryo, stomach growling, began to long for the cup noodles he had given to Sudou. Now that he thought about it, Sudou had eaten it with such relish.
"Ahem, let me do the introductions."
"This is Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C, my classmate."
"And this is Sakayanagi Arisu from Class 1-A."
"Why the extra phrase 'my classmate'?"
Sakayanagi wiped her mouth with a napkin, propped her head with her left hand, and tilted her head.
"Was it unnecessary?"
Ryo asked in confusion.
"It just hurts a little to hear you mention something she has but I don't."
Sakayanagi smiled. Like Ryo, she was also skilled at smiling with her lips while her eyes remained cold and expressionless—what he liked to call a "smile without warmth."
"Then... this is Sakayanagi Arisu from Class 1-A, someone I know. Satisfied?"
"Oh? Just 'someone you know'?"
Sakayanagi seemed to enjoy Ryo's discomfort. She even picked up a piece of pie and teased him like a kindergarten teacher:
"Say something sweeter, and I'll let you have a bite."
"Hey, that was supposed to be my piece in the first place!"
Ryo tried to dismiss the topic, but to his surprise, Hiyori put down her utensils and asked seriously:
"I'm also curious about your relationship with... Sakayanagi-san."
"You disappeared for a whole year in middle school. Was it related to her?"
Faced with Hiyori's question, Ryo could only vaguely answer:
"Yes, it was related to Arisu, but it's hard to explain."
He shook his head and said softly:
"I don't want to talk about it right now. I hope you understand."
"Okay."
Although she said that, Hiyori couldn't help but feel a little down. Understanding the person you like has secrets with another girl is a difficult ask.
Seeing her expression, Ryo felt bad too. But there were things he couldn't say in front of Arisu. He suppressed the emotions and turned to Sakayanagi:
"What about you? Why did you come to my place—and right after I had just arrived?"
"I was simply curious why you weren't placed in Class A."
She answered his question with another.
"Eh? Isn't class placement random?"
Before Ryo could respond, Hiyori raised a question with confusion. As a book-loving girl, it seemed romantic to be in the same class with someone she liked, so hearing Sakayanagi frame it as manipulation struck her as odd.
"It's not random," Ryo shook his head.
"I had my doubts too about whether the four classes had differences. But I overheard upperclassmen at the convenience store, and I think the school sorts students by ability based on some criteria."
"That's why I heard one of them call Class 1-D students 'defective products.'"
In just a morning and noon, Ryo had already grasped some school rules. Sakayanagi's probing confirmed his suspicion. Being the daughter of the chairman, she certainly knew more than most freshmen.
"You're not wrong."
She acknowledged his theory but frowned:
"So why weren't you placed in Class A?"
"Maybe I'm only C-class material."
Ryo shrugged. He wasn't sure himself, but accepted the placement. At least being in Class C let him avoid directly confronting Arisu, Ichinose Honami, Horikita Suzune, and Karuizawa Kei. Compared to them, Hiyori seemed like the healthiest and most balanced girl.
Although she seemed to have mild communication issues, Ryo felt confident he could help her overcome that.
"Don't say that."
Arisu refuted his casual remark with seriousness:
"The Kitagawa Ryo I acknowledge could never be just C-class."
"You are my equal—in the past and in the future."
"But Ryo is in Class 1-C now..."
Hiyori suddenly interjected. Other girls might be overwhelmed by Arisu's aura, but Hiyori remained unfazed, even adding cheekily:
"And in the same class as me."
Ryo began seriously considering the possibility that Hiyori had a hidden dark side. Did all silver-haired girls have this trait?
Still, Arisu kept her composed smile, thanks to years of emotional training:
"Ryo, have you considered transferring to Class A?"
"No."
Ryo shook his head firmly. If she barged into his dorm on day one when they weren't even in the same class, what would she do if they were classmates?
"Is that so?"
Arisu nodded, unsurprised:
"Maybe it's better this way. I look forward to defeating you in the inter-class competition."
She casually revealed another piece of info—there would be competition between classes. She declared confidently:
"The gap between Class A and C isn't something you alone can overcome."
"Of course, if you want an alliance between A and C, our relationship makes it easy."
Though it was only the first day, Arisu already displayed the aura of a class leader. But Ryo didn't think she was bluffing. Even among the elite of Class A, she would be the one to reign.
Just as she had faith in him, Ryo trusted Arisu just as deeply.
"No thanks."
Ryo flatly refused. His tone was so determined that even Hiyori was inspired. She puffed up her cheeks and tried to stand beside Ryo with a stern face—though her attempt was more cute than intimidating.
"I look forward to clashing with you too, Arisu."
"And not just for myself..."
Ryo raised his voice passionately. While the rest of the students remained unaware, the battle between Class A and Class C had already begun on day one:
Deception, manipulation, mind games—a war for class supremacy.
And it all stemmed from—
"Because I didn't get to eat my blueberry pie today!"
Ryo declared with deep resentment.
Hiyori clapped along cheerfully, whispering, "Go, go!"
Arisu finally let out a genuine giggle.
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[Freshman Sudou Ken from Class 1-D may be suspended until the midterm exams for intentional assault. Class D may also be penalized with a deduction in class points.]
On the second day of the new school term, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-D received an official notice from the school administration. Even Chabashira herself was left frustrated. The system of class points and their relation to personal points was originally intended to be revealed on the first day of May, in the second month of the new term. While she was well aware of the inferior quality of Class D's students, she hadn't expected that on the very first day of school, a freshman would actually assault three upperclassmen.
What made it worse was that the entire incident was captured by nearby surveillance cameras, clearly showing that it was Sudou Ken who made the first move.
Although she immediately tried to suppress the news and requested a chance to appeal, she was only granted a three-day grace period. Through a private conversation with Sudou, Chabashira keenly picked up on the name "Ryuuen" – supposedly a fellow classmate. Yet there was no such surname in all of Class 1-D. Only after combing through the full freshman registry did she find a "Ryuuen Kakeru" in Class 1-C. But after reviewing the convenience store footage, she realized that the person claiming to be "Ryuuen Kakeru" was in fact Kitagawa Ryo from Class 1-C.
"Tch."
There were clearly signs of manipulation behind the scenes. Chabashira hadn't anticipated that a Class 1-C student would already be engaging in underhanded maneuvers. Competition between students was indeed the school's core philosophy, and without concrete proof implicating Kitagawa's involvement to mitigate Sudou's punishment, Class 1-D would have no choice but to swallow the consequences.
However, as the homeroom teacher, she couldn't directly intervene. Nor could she prematurely inform the class of the situation. After fifteen minutes of deliberation, she finally stubbed out her lady's cigarette and pulled two student files from the pile before her. After a moment's hesitation, she returned one to the stack, leaving only a single folder in her hand:
"Karuizawa Kei."
Though there were other students with superior stats – names like "Horikita Suzune," "Hirata Yosuke," and "Kushida Kikyo" boasted higher five-dimension metrics – and even a suspiciously average student like "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka" who scored exactly fifty in every subject, Chabashira ultimately decided to secretly assign Karuizawa Kei to approach Kitagawa Ryo from Class 1-C.
For one simple reason.
Chabashira reviewed Karuizawa Kei's personal record once more: Academic Ability D-, Intelligence D-, Judgment C-, Physical Ability D, Teamwork E+. A string of average scores. But embedded within her middle school history were frequent mentions of another name—
Kitagawa Ryo.
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