"A new life full of hope and encounters… and it's already tainted on the very first day of school?"
In the front row of the auditorium, Miyazawa Yuu rested his chin on one hand, gazing sidelong at the cherry blossoms fluttering outside the window. His eyes carried a mix of gentleness and resignation.
With his muscular build paired against the drifting petals, he exuded a strangely poetic "tender tough-guy" aura.
Unfortunately, the stern security officer sitting across from him wasn't in the mood for aesthetics. "Mm-hm. I've written everything down. Got anything else to say?"
"…Uncle, please, I'm begging you. I swear I'm not some dangerous person!"
The moment was ruined. Yuu slammed his forehead onto the desk, pleading desperately.
Who could've guessed those ridiculous bodybuilding poses would go viral on the campus forum this fast? He had barely snuck into the auditorium to hide when the campus security squad came knocking.
Thankfully, this officer seemed relatively easygoing, not eager to drag him straight to the disciplinary office. That gave Yuu a chance to keep on bluffing (crossed out: lying), no—explaining.
"Well… I've got the general situation down. Since you say you're not a bad guy, then just take off that mask."
The officer put away his notepad, having roughly figured Yuu out.
Sure, the boy looked intimidating with all those muscles, but his clownish, unserious manner didn't scream "dangerous."
Still, doing bodybuilding poses naked in the middle of campus was far too absurd. He had to at least log Yuu's identity—just in case the kid decided to pull another stunt.
"…That's not really necessary, is it?"
At those words, Yuu's heart skipped. Taking off the mask? Impossible. Not in this lifetime!
Without it, only Kitahara Iori's name and his own physique were being exposed—but if his face were shown, he'd be utterly finished.
Judging by how fast security had shown up, "Kitahara Iori" was probably already trending on the forums. Revealing his face would be no different from doxxing himself.
"Not necessary? If you don't cooperate, I'll have no choice but to escort you to the security office for processing!"
As expected, Yuu's plea was denied. Worse, the officer actually reached out to pull the mask off himself.
But no matter how hard he tugged, the system's item resisted with iron will. Even using all his strength, the officer couldn't move the mask a millimeter.
"Huh? How's that possible? Did you glue this thing to your face?"
"…The Bull Warrior never removes his mask!"
Neck stiff, chest puffed, Yuu crossed his arms and sat upright, steeling himself like a condemned man.
By now the auditorium was filling with students. Teachers were already taking the podium, and the officer couldn't make a scene, so he gave up for the moment. After greeting the lecturer, he plopped down beside Yuu, eyes burning with a silent "You just wait."
"Whoa! It's Kitahara Iori! I thought those pics online were fake! But he's real!"
"Right? In person he's even more insane. How do you even train a body like that?!"
Two girls a few rows behind Yuu squealed, whispering about the "muscle monster" right in front of them.
The auditorium was noisy, and Yuu, preoccupied with the officer beside him, didn't realize people were talking about him.
But in the very back row, sitting isolated like a startled sparrow, Kitahara Iori's head shot up, a giant exclamation mark practically floating above him.
"Oh no! They recognized me! How could it be this fast? And what's this about 'bulk'? Wait… don't tell me…"
He glanced down at the bulge in his boxers, horror dawning in his eyes.
Were college students really this perverted? Their first focus wasn't that he'd been sleeping naked in public—it was… that?!
Though… a tiny part of him felt weirdly flattered.
Mistaking it for praise of his "endowment," Iori started to float a little. But quickly sobering up, he pulled out his phone and typed his own name into the campus forum's search bar. He had to see how badly his reputation had been trashed.
"Listen up! My name is Kitahara Iori! Don't you dare forget it!"
The video blared from his phone speaker. On screen, a hulking mass of muscle struck a crab pose, flexing his chest.
Iori's mind blanked. Was that even human?
No—the real problem was that this meathead was parading around using his name!
"That voice… Miyazawa Yuu! It's definitely that bastard!"
Veins popped on Iori's clenched hand as his eyes burned red with fury.
He could never mistake that voice, even if it was ground to ashes and buried under concrete. It was definitely Yuu!
No wonder he'd vanished this morning—he'd stolen Iori's name and dumped all the blame on him! Utterly inhuman!
"That guy's a freshman too! He's gotta be here in the auditorium. Let me find him… there!"
Standing abruptly, baring his sharp canines like a starving wolf, Iori scanned the crowd.
And there he was: the masked Bull Warrior, sitting right in the front row.
But just as he was about to storm down and tear into him, his peripheral vision caught a flash of blue—a security officer's cap.
With a heavy thud, Iori dropped back into his seat, instantly meek.
Yeah, no. In his current state, rushing Yuu would only land them both in detention.
Better to endure now. Judging by how the officer was watching him, Yuu was doomed anyway.
"That's the guy who passed out drunk in front of the auditorium…"
"Yeah. Not as good as Kitahara Iori, though. That dude's like doing performance art. Total beanpole, but still had the guts to show off. Pathetic."
"Unbelievable. And he's a freshman too!"
But low-profile or not, Iori wasn't escaping attention.
While Yuu's muscular display drew plenty of gawkers, others were whispering about the scrawny guy sitting stiff and bare in his boxers.
Iori's brief movements had flipped a switch—now the murmurs were all about him.
"Damn it! Why the double standard?!"
He slammed the desk in frustration. Yuu was naked too! Worse, he was hiding behind a mask like a coward.
And yet, only he was getting mocked? How was that fair?!
Fire of vengeance flared in his eyes. Since Yuu had struck first, don't blame him for retaliating!
"Hey, hey! Look at that guy back there—he's called Miyazawa Yuu, right? What a dumb face!"
"Just an idiot~ Check out that other guy, though. He's hot, isn't he?"
Hearing his real name from behind, Yuu froze, his mind blank.
Turning around, he saw Iori in the back row by the window—sitting ramrod straight in nothing but boxers and… a sheet of paper taped to his face.
In bold red marker, it read: "I am Miyazawa Yuu! (lol)"
"That bastard!!"
Yuu's eyes flared with rage as their gazes locked across the auditorium. Sparks practically crackled in the air between them.
Neither dared move—class was starting, after all—but the fight was inevitable.
Unable to act, they both rolled their eyes in perfect unison, before turning toward the same direction—the cluster of girls whispering about "the handsome guy."
And there, by the window in another back corner, sat a lone blond-haired boy.
Just like the girls said—though maybe a notch below themselves—he really was the most handsome guy in the hall.
But why was someone like that sitting all alone?
As Yuu's eyes drifted downward, he finally saw the whole picture—
The blond was wearing a gaudy shirt printed with the giant face of an anime girl.
Sensing their stares, the blond turned slightly. For a split second, the eyes of all three men clashed in midair.
The last people you'd ever want to get involved with.
Sharing an unspoken understanding, the three exchanged sneering smiles.
From their separate corners of the room, each tilted his head away with a cold, disdainful squint—the perfect classic "I don't acknowledge you" look plastered on their faces.