Three days later.
Monday.
Morning assembly at Toyonozaki High School.
The principal stepped up to the podium, cleared his throat, and announced in a booming voice,
"Students! Teachers! I have some amazing news to share!"
"This weekend, we'll be honored to welcome a very special guest back to our alma mater. He'll be giving an exclusive talk to all of you!"
He paused dramatically, letting the suspense build, then shouted,
"The guest is none other than the winner of the 61st Edogawa Ranpo Prize, and the author of the phenomenal light novel A Certain Magical Index—"
He took a deep breath, then roared the name:
"—Seiji Fujiwara!!"
Boom—!!!
After a single stunned heartbeat of silence, the entire field exploded into a deafening roar.
"I knew it!"
"Right?! When I saw the livestream that day, I was shook!"
"I can't believe that genius author is our senior!"
"Fujiwara-sensei is my idol! I have to get his autograph! No, wait—his photo! I'm getting a photo with him!"
The news spread like wildfire across the entire campus.
For those who had once crossed paths with Seiji Fujiwara, the shock hit even harder.
In the school corridor—
Several boys who used to hang out with Utaha Kasumigaoka—and had once harbored dreams about her—were now gathered together, faces pale with despair.
"My youth… it's over," one muttered hollowly, leaning against the wall.
"I should've known… a guy who could win over Kasumigaoka-senpai could never be ordinary…"
"I used to think that once I got into Waseda, I'd finally have a fair chance with him. What a joke." The bespectacled honors student buried his face in his hands.
"Compete? Yeah right. Go to bed, man," another guy snorted bitterly.
All the boys who once fantasized about Utaha had completely given up.
Their eyes toward Seiji Fujiwara no longer held jealousy—only reverence.
A beauty like her belonged only to the strong.
And Fujiwara Seiji—whether in talent, looks, or social standing—was a force of nature.
Unrivaled.
In the teachers' office—
Fujiwara's homeroom teacher, Mr. Sasaki, was surrounded by a crowd of excited colleagues.
He wore a smug, barely restrained grin as he recounted his "memories" of teaching Fujiwara.
"Mr. Sasaki, that's incredible! You taught him?!"
"Yeah, come on, tell us what he was like as a student!"
"Did he show signs of genius early on?"
Mr. Sasaki waved his hands modestly, though his eyes gleamed with pride.
"I saw it coming, honestly! Fujiwara might've been quiet in class, but his eyes—they were different. Sharp, full of insight, far beyond his years!"
"I just knew he'd become someone great!"
Of course, what he was actually thinking was: Thank God I never underestimated that kid back then… otherwise I'd be the laughingstock of the whole school right now.
In the Art Club room—
Eriri Spencer Sawamura sat frozen in front of her easel.
"Fujiwara-senpai…"
"Or should I say, Prince Warukawa? Or… the Edogawa Ranpo Prize winner!?"
"I can't believe it… he's really our upperclassman!"
Eriri murmured to herself in disbelief.
She'd seen the news when Seiji revealed his identity at the award ceremony, and the shock had been enormous.
Even now, the feeling hadn't faded.
"This level… I'm still nowhere close."
Staring at her own illustration, Eriri gave a small, self-deprecating smile.
She once dreamed of being the illustrator for Warukawa-sensei's novels. Looking back now, that dream felt absurdly naive.
"But I can't slack off!"
"Come on, Eriri! You've gotta work harder!"
Her blue eyes reignited with fierce determination.
The day before the speech—
Inside the principal's office, Seiji Fujiwara sat leisurely on the guest sofa.
The principal himself poured his tea, while several department heads stood nearby, all wearing deferential smiles.
"Fujiwara-kun, thank you so much for agreeing to give this lecture!" The principal's tone was full of respect—not toward a student, but toward someone of far higher status.
Seiji waved it off casually. "Let's skip the pleasantries, Principal. Just say what you really came for."
The principal exchanged glances with the board members, then suddenly stood and bowed.
"Fujiwara-kun! To support your creative work, the school board has unanimously decided—"
"From today onward, you are officially exempt from all attendance and exam requirements at Toyonozaki!"
"And we have just one small request," he added with a sycophantic smile.
"We'd be deeply honored if you could occasionally mention, in public, that you graduated from Toyonozaki High."
Seiji chuckled. So that's their angle.
A famous alumnus was worth its weight in gold—especially for admissions, in this age of declining birth rates.
"Sure, I don't mind," he agreed smoothly.
After all, it was true—he had graduated from Toyonozaki.
And with his current fame, even if he didn't mention it, someone else would.
Plus, skipping classes and exams? That was just a nice bonus.
"Thank you, Fujiwara-kun!!"
The principal's eyes lit up with joy. He could already see next year's enrollment numbers skyrocketing—
Gifted students flooding in!
Government funding pouring down like rain!
Fujiwara Seiji's name dominated the headlines, and soon the nation was caught up in the same burning question:
—Which university would the prodigy choose?
Admissions offices at Japan's top schools—Waseda, Keio, Sophia, and more—scrambled into action.
Letters, offers, and special invitations piled up at Fushikawa Bunko like snowdrifts.
Inside the Chief Editor's office at Fushikawa Bunko—
Ryuji Aida and Sonoko Machida stared in disbelief at the mountain of gilded envelopes on the desk.
"Chief, we've already got seven or eight designated universities asking for him—and that's not counting the near-elite ones!" Machida said, still dazed.
"What can we do?" Ryuji rubbed his temples. "Sort them all out and send them to Fujiwara-sensei. Let him pick."
"Wait, hold on!"
The door opened suddenly. The company chairman's secretary walked in, looking tense, holding an envelope.
"And I've been asked to tell you—the group is willing to arrange a personal research position for him under any professor he chooses."
Ryuji frowned and tore open the envelope—then froze. His hand trembled.
"T-Tokyo University?!"
Machida gasped when she saw the gold-embossed seal.
Even Ryuji's expression turned incredulous.
They'd expected top universities to reach out—but Todai? The apex of Japan's academic pyramid?
"My god…" Machida murmured. "When was the last time Todai's Faculty of Letters gave a special admission to a novelist?"
"Not just a novelist," Ryuji said solemnly. "They're drawn to his cultural influence—the kind that moves millions of young people. Fujiwara-sensei isn't just a writer anymore. He's a phenomenon."
He immediately grabbed his phone to call Seiji.
Inside Seiji's apartment—
"Todai, huh?"
"Heh. Got it."
"I understand Fushikawa's stance. I'll think it over."
Seiji hung up the call without surprise.
An 18-year-old Ranpo Prize winner—of course even Tokyo University would want him.
But to Seiji Fujiwara, who had lived two lives, a university was… just a university.
With his current fame and achievements, it was no exaggeration to say—
it wasn't he who would be honored to attend a university,
but the university that would be honored to have him.
Not even Todai was an exception.
Beside him, Utaha Kasumigaoka, dressed in a simple home kimono, stared at him wide-eyed.
"T-Todai…!?"
For a born-and-raised Japanese like her, Tokyo University was a near-mythic dream.
"Of course. Only a place like that would suit him," she murmured.
Though she herself was top-tier academically, her ceiling was somewhere around Keio or Waseda.
Todai was still out of reach.
"Congratulations, Seiji," she said gently, peeling a mandarin orange and offering a slice to his lips with a smile.
"That's all?" Seiji bit into the fruit—and playfully nipped her finger, smirking.
Utaha's lips curved into a mesmerizing smile. "It doesn't have to be just that."
And what followed needed no narration.
The next day – Toyonozaki High School Auditorium
Seiji Fujiwara stood on stage, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit that emphasized his tall, elegant frame.
One hand in his pocket, the other holding the mic, he exuded calm dominance.
Though only eighteen, his aura of effortless control eclipsed even the school's top administrators.
In the crowd, every student—whether the model scholar or the delinquent—looked up at him with reverent awe.
Too young.
Too dazzling.
His handsome, almost celebrity-like face, combined with the titles Ranpo Prize Winner, Light Novel King, Multi-Millionaire—
made him seem less like a human being and more like a living god.
In a society obsessed with strength and success, Seiji Fujiwara was divine.
"I'll keep this short," his voice rang out.
"Humans live with desire. To deny it is to deny life itself. Embrace your desires. Chase them. That's what gives you the power to live fully."
"To fight—to struggle—is simply to recognize your own desires, and work hard to fulfill them."
His words echoed through the hall—half inspirational fluff, half performance, perfectly tuned for youthful ears.
As he spoke, Seiji's gaze swept across the audience. Most faces blurred together—unremarkable.
Until his eyes paused.
Among the sea of students stood a golden-haired girl, twin tails swaying, eyes bright and unyielding.
Her doll-like face, porcelain skin, and those blue eyes sparkling with excitement—
she shone like a gem amidst the crowd.
Even among thousands, Seiji spotted her instantly.
At that same moment, the girl stared back at him, breath hitching.
It's really him!
Fujiwara-sensei!
He's even more handsome in person!
And that aura…!
Her heart pounded wildly.
She could hear the whispers and squeals of girls around her, but she forced herself to stay composed.
Calm down, Eriri Spencer Sawamura!
Don't forget your manners!
Even if the family's fallen on hard times, don't lose your poise!
She kept lecturing herself, but her blue eyes couldn't look away.
He was her idol—her inspiration—standing right there, breathing the same air.
When Seiji's gaze swept past her section, their eyes met for a fleeting instant.
Boom!
Eriri's mind went blank.
H-he looked at me?!
Her face flushed crimson. She quickly lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes again.
Onstage, Seiji's system interface flickered to life for the first time in a while.
[Ding! High-value target detected!]
Name: Eriri Spencer Sawamura
Value: SSR
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
So she really was as beautiful as the rumors said—one of Toyonozaki's "Two Great Beauties," alongside Utaha.
Perfect.
The next target… is Eriri.
He was a man who followed his desires.
And what man didn't love beautiful girls—especially ones straight out of anime perfection?
Seiji Fujiwara always had, and always would.
Later that afternoon – Rooftop
The breeze was gentle, the sunlight warm.
Seiji lounged lazily on the bench, savoring the bento that Utaha was feeding him.
Life was good.
Recently, Sonoko Machida had sent over a pair of travel tickets to Hokkaido. Utaha was already packing for their upcoming trip next week.
Having fully accepted her place by Seiji's side, she was radiant—her every move exuding sweetness.
"I added a little extra mirin to the tamagoyaki today. Tell me if it's too sweet."
Her voice was soft and melodic as she lifted a golden slice of egg to his lips.
Her eyes shimmered with affection, her smile as intoxicating as ever.