**Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School**—a national elite academy in central Tokyo.
- Cutting-edge smart classrooms
- Coveted single dorm rooms
- A historic 100% university/employment rate
Yet since arriving, Shimizu had harbored doubts.
*A 100% employment rate?*
In Japan, top schools boasted "Todai acceptance numbers" or "Waseda-Keio rates"—not vague "employment" stats like vocational schools.
"Total scam," he muttered under his breath as he approached the school gates.
Pausing at the entrance stairs, he spotted two figures in a standoff. The literary beauty from the bus stood atop the steps, her skirt fluttering in the spring breeze. She glared down at the brown-haired boy (who Shimizu now recognized as Kiyotaka Ayanokoji), her chin lifted in defiance.
"You looked at me on the bus. Explain."
"Apologies. I assumed you, like me, avoided giving up your seat out of inconvenience."
"I refuse on principle! Unlike you, who merely hates trouble."
Shimizu pretended not to hear, climbing past them with measured steps.
"You there—wait!" The girl's voice cut through the morning air. "You also looked at me. Explain."
Her sharp gaze snapped to him like a hawk spotting prey.
He had glanced at her while exiting—just a casual observation anyone might make when someone exudes that much presence.
*Seriously? Eye contact on a crowded bus is normal!*
"Were you judging me for not yielding my seat?" Horikita Suzune crossed her arms, the morning sun casting long shadows behind her. "My decision was deliberate. Priority seating is an outdated concept that—"
"Understood." Shimizu's tone remained neutral. "I respect your choice. My glance wasn't criticism—you reminded me of a literary character."
Her stubborn aura and sharp tongue perfectly mirrored Yukinoshita Yukino from *Oregairu*. Honestly, he didn't care about seating etiquette—kindness shouldn't be forced, and virtue signaling annoyed him more than seat hogs.
*Is this girl an INTJ or something?*
"If you dislike interaction," he offered, "I'll avoid unnecessary eye contact or conversation. Would that suffice?"
Horikita's lashes flickered almost imperceptibly. This boy... didn't lecture her but actually accommodated her preferences?
"No need for extremes," she said, arms loosening slightly. "I simply prefer directness."
Shimizu stopped mid-step. "Shimizu Akira. And you are...?"
"Horikita Suzune." The name escaped before she could stop it, making her frown at her own candor.
A crisp breeze carried cherry blossom petals between them as the school bell rang—a picturesque scene that would've been romantic if not for Horikita's frosty demeanor.
"Horikita-san!" A bubbly voice interrupted. Kushida Kikyō bounded up the stairs, her chest bouncing noticeably with each step. "You made it! Oh—Shimizu-kun too! Are you two in the same class?"
Horikita's expression soured further. "We were just—"
**[System Alert: New Intel Unlocked]**
[5: Today's lunch special contains undisclosed shellfish. Allergic students will require medical attention.]
[6: First-year faculty lounge has a broken camera from 13:00-14:00]
[7: Horikita Suzune's student file lists her as "socially maladjusted"—a designation that—]
Shimizu blinked the messages away as Kushida beamed. "I'm in Class 1-D! What about you guys?"
"Class D," Horikita muttered.
"Same," Shimizu confirmed.
Kushida clapped her hands. "Amazing! We're all together!" She leaned conspiratorially close to Shimizu, her gardenia perfume overwhelming. "Between us... isn't it weird how they divide classes by letters here? Like we're products being graded."
Horikita scoffed. "It's obviously aptitude-based. They wouldn't waste A-rank facilities on—"
A thunderous crash interrupted her. Below them, a first-year boy had tripped while running, sending his documents flying. Without hesitation, Kushida dashed down to help—but not before Shimizu noticed her subtle eye-roll when she thought no one was looking.
*Just as the intel said... two-faced indeed.*
Horikita observed coldly. "Foolish. Running in dress shoes is—"
"Hey." Shimizu pointed at a conspicuously empty space on the bulletin board. "Notice anything odd?"
Horikita followed his gaze. "The class assignment list has been removed after orientation. Standard procedure to—"
"To what? Prevent us from comparing academic records?" He tapped the pristine pinboard. "No glue residue, no torn paper edges. This was taken down carefully by staff... after everyone saw their initial placements."
Her eyes narrowed in realization. "You're suggesting... the classes aren't fixed?"
Before he could answer, a new voice joined them—dry and laced with amusement. "My, my. The D-class strays are already conspiring?"
Turning, they faced a petite girl with snow-white hair and a cane: Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A, her crimson eyes gleaming with predatory interest.
**[System Warning: Hostile Faction Leader Approaching]**
[Recommended Countermeasure: Mention her father's upcoming inspection visit]
Shimizu smiled. "Sakayanagi-sama. How's the Board Chairman's surprise evaluation planning going?"
The cane slipped slightly in her grip. *Gotcha.*
Horikita-san, is it? I'll remember that. Goodbye."** Shimizu Akira smiled slightly before turning to ascend the steps.
Horikita remained rooted in place, watching until his figure disappeared at the top of the staircase. Only then did she freeze, as if suddenly realizing something.
*(Wait...)*
*(I just... voluntarily gave my name to a stranger?)*
*(This completely violates my usual principles.)*
The April wind carried cherry blossom petals past her ears as she dissected their brief exchange in her mind.
—From her aggressive questioning to unconsciously letting her guard down in response.
—A mere five exchanges, yet every step had somehow fallen into the rhythm he orchestrated.
What unsettled her most was the boy's unwavering sincerity.
He neither dodged her sharp interrogation nor attempted to flatter her, responding to each remark with straightforward logic.
In all her years, conversations with peers had either been dripping with hollow pleasantries or outright hostility.
This... was a first.
And strangely enough, it didn't feel entirely unpleasant.
...
Shimizu stepped on scattered petals, the corner of his mouth quirking up involuntarily.
**"This Horikita-san is surprisingly naive..."** he murmured under his breath, amusement lacing his tone.
The girl's expressions were as transparent as an open book—every flicker of surprise and hesitation at simple small talk betrayed her social inexperience. It reminded him of the "specialists" he'd frequently dealt with in his past life as a lead game designer.
The obstinacy of programmers, the obsessiveness of artists, the perfectionism of level designers... Whenever these "eccentrics" dug their heels in to frustrating extremes—
That's when he stepped in.
The image of the girl surfaced in his mind: her straight posture, tightly pressed lips, and those expressive eyes.
A textbook "unapproachable beauty," but their brief interaction had already exposed the truth—this was clearly someone whose cold exterior masked a warm interior, with defenses more fragile than paper.
**"I barely even tried..."** Shimizu sighed softly. **"And you already surrendered."**
A simple tactic of strategic retreat, and she'd folded completely—even divulging her name without resistance.
Such an earnest, unguarded reaction stood in stark contrast to the calculating Kushida Kikyō from earlier.
*Come to think of it, if a girl like this fell in love, she'd probably devote herself wholeheartedly to her partner.*
The thought drifted idly through his mind as he watched petals flutter in the distance.
But he shelved the idea just as quickly.
For one, class assignments weren't finalized yet. Secondly, as a newcomer still grasping the true nature of this school, laying low for now was the wiser choice.
Just then, a crisp chime echoed in his mind.
**[Ding~ Today's Intel Updated]**
**[Intel 1: Today at 10:30 sharp (after the entrance ceremony), Class 1-A's Kamuro Masumi will "accidentally" pocket a can of beer from the campus convenience store.]**
**[Intel 2: Horikita Suzune's measurements are 79/54/79.]**
**[Intel 3: To address *physiological needs*, knock on Hoshinomiya Chie's door three times at exactly 2:00 AM tomorrow.]**
Shimizu's eyebrow rose. Today's intel was... unexpected.
Especially the third one. *This school offers those kinds of special services?*
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