"Seriously! Why would I lie to you?"
Seeing Hikigaya Hachiman's doubtful expression, Kaede hurriedly defended herself.
"There's not just the elven princess — a bunch of demi-human transfer students are coming too! You'll see them all starting tomorrow!"
"I'm not saying I don't believe you," Hachiman replied, shaking his head. "I'm just… confused why they'd choose Sōbu High of all places. Normally they'd go to Tokyo, right? Why come all the way out to Chiba?"
He wasn't being sarcastic for once — he genuinely didn't get it.
Sure, Sōbu High's deviation score was high — the highest in Chiba, in fact — but it was still Chiba's Sōbu High, not Tokyo's. Someone like an elven princess transferring here didn't make sense at all. Royalty crossing worlds usually came with political motives, so if she were going anywhere, it should've been Tokyo — the political and cultural heart of Japan.
Kaede puffed up her chest with mock authority. "How would I know? Maybe she thought our school has really strong clubs — not just academics. The administration got flooded with transfer requests from all kinds of top students. There were so many demi-humans applying, we had to turn down a ton of amazing human students!"
She sounded half-proud, half-exasperated — the kind of bragging tone only a newly minted student council president could pull off.
Sōbu High wasn't just famous for its grades. Its clubs were strong — national level strong. Soccer, track, tennis, volleyball, swimming — even the girls' competitive swim club had athletes who'd made it to national tournaments.
It was as if the school's oppressive rules had driven every student to channel their energy into club activities, and in the process, created a breeding ground for elite athletes and prodigies.
Of course, that had little to do with Kaede herself. But becoming student council president this early in her first year? That spoke volumes about her charisma and ability.
"Maybe that's it…"
Hachiman shrugged, not entirely convinced.
Something about all this still felt off. Sōbu High was weird — too weird.
It wasn't just the number of athletic clubs, or their strength.
It was the fact that every single one seemed to have at least one stunningly beautiful girl in it.
Take Hayase Saki, for example — her looks alone would've made her the top beauty in most schools. But at Sōbu High? The girls' swim club alone had multiple girls on her level.
Now even an elven princess was joining the mix? Yeah, she'd definitely be gorgeous — that much was guaranteed.
Hachiman frowned slightly. He had no idea what her reason for coming here was, but one thing was certain — her arrival would cause a massive stir.
After all, other than the few demi-humans occasionally seen in public, most ordinary people had never laid eyes on them, let alone an elven princess.
And honestly, if this world had "discovered" other realms — complete with creatures like elves — shouldn't that have caused a war by now? Populations, resources, land… humanity never resisted a reason to fight over those things.
But there hadn't been a war. Why?
Maybe the other world had magic — or a Demon Lord or something. And maybe this world had its own deterrent: nuclear weapons, mutually assured destruction.
Or maybe the supernatural world wasn't so hidden after all — maybe it was just better at keeping secrets.
Or perhaps, a war had already happened — fought quietly between worlds, and the public never learned the result.
Hachiman's mind wandered as the train carried him, Kaede, and Shizuku back home.
For now, none of that mattered. Those things were far beyond his pay grade. He just had to take care of the girls around him. That was enough.
When they reached their neighborhood, Kaede stopped in front of her house, slapped his shoulder, and glared at him.
"We're home! And tomorrow morning, Shizuku and I are coming to wake you up — no sleeping in!"
"See you tomorrow," Shizuku murmured softly beside her, lifting a small hand to wave. Her quiet, almost monotone voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried a strange warmth.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll wake up early tomorrow," Hachiman replied, waving back at the twin sisters before heading toward his own door next door.
Kaede, now the freshly minted student council president, couldn't afford to be late — especially not in a school obsessed with discipline. She had to set an example, arriving early to join the disciplinary committee's morning checks.
In the past, Hachiman might've grumbled about being dragged along by those two every morning. He wasn't exactly a morning person, and hanging around before class usually meant zoning out at his desk or reading quietly.
But now that his memories had returned — and he understood the dangers lurking in this world — he didn't mind going together.
If it meant keeping them safe, losing a few minutes of sleep was a small price to pay.
Unlocking his front door, Hachiman suddenly remembered something — the Love List system.
Kaede and Shizuku's names weren't on it. Curious, he opened the list and tried manually adding them.
It worked.
Both were now listed as "Best Friends."
…Still not "Lovers," though.
He smirked faintly. At least it was better than "Strangers."
He also added Komachi's name to the list — just in case. If danger struck, he wanted to be able to reach her instantly.
Kicking off his shoes in the entryway, he stepped into the living room—
"Onii-chan! You're home late today! Did something happen?"
Sitting cross-legged on the couch, a small, cute girl with a messy ahoge on top of her head looked up from the fat cat sprawled in her lap.
Komachi Hikigaya — his little sister, as energetic and nosy as ever.
"Nothing serious," Hachiman replied, tossing his bag aside. "The Service Club picked up two new members today, and we had our first proper club activity. Took a bit longer than usual."
"Wait, really?!" Komachi's eyes went wide in shock. "Someone actually joined your weird club? And you guys actually did something?!"
Her voice dripped with disbelief — and a touch of sisterly concern.
"You didn't get bullied by the new male members, did you? I mean, Sōbu High bans impure relationships between boys and girls, but they never said anything about impure relationships between boys…"
Hachiman sighed. "Komachi, you do realize that fujoshi are the natural enemies of otaku, right? For the sake of our peaceful sibling bond, I'm officially banning you from reading BL manga."
"So defensive~ That means I'm right, doesn't it?"
He gave her a deadpan stare.
"Or maybe — just maybe — the new members are both girls. And pretty ones at that."
"Ha! No way!" Komachi giggled, poking his cheek. "There's no chance any cute girl would voluntarily join your club, Onii-chan. The only reason Kaede-neesan and Shizuku-chan hang out with you is because they grew up next door and feel sorry for you."
"Thanks for the confidence boost, little sister."
"Don't worry, don't worry~" she said, flashing a mischievous grin. "If Onii-chan really can't find a girlfriend, Komachi will introduce you to a cute, obedient kouhai from my school!"
"Wow. That statement had high Komachi-points, but also massive attack power."
"Heehee~"
"Just to be clear," Hachiman groaned, "I haven't fallen so far that I'm looking for girlfriends in middle school."
Komachi stuck out her tongue, her little fang showing as she laughed at his exasperated expression.
Hachiman sighed again, sinking deeper into the couch, half-amused and half-defeated.
Seriously… was his little sister underestimating him that much?
Maybe it was time to show Komachi just what her Onii-chan was capable of.