—Ruyi Dormitory
The spacious mansion, usually filled with the cheerful laughter of young girls, now felt strangely quiet.
Aside from the ever-vigilant house guardian, Momotarou, only two men remained.
Hojou Kyousuke lounged comfortably on the sofa, a steaming cup of milk tea in his hand.
The ceramic mug—decorated with desert roses—was a gift from Utaha, while the tea leaves themselves had been brought by Eriri from her family home.
He wore a loose gray T-shirt and soft cotton pants, bathed in the gentle morning sunlight.
The scene had a lazy charm to it, like something straight out of a romantic drama where a man and woman do nothing productive all day but lounge around at home, stuck in their own little world.
Blowing away the rising steam, he took a slow sip.
For him, milk tea was a double-edged sword.
The warm, sweet liquid always tempted him to close his eyes and drift off to sleep—but if he could resist that drowsiness, it worked well enough to keep him awake later.
With the house emptied of its usual chaos, Kyousuke's thoughts wandered to Miki and Yukino, probably still fast asleep in their rooms.
The urge to fall asleep himself and visit them in a dream tugged at him.
But no—that would have to wait.
There was still one "noisy" person left in the kitchen.
Standing at the sink in a crisp black suit and wearing pink rubber gloves, Kisaki Tetta was scrubbing dishes with the grave intensity of a man committing a serious crime.
If you ignored his muttering, the whole scene could've been mistaken for a secret yakuza meeting—the calm, composed boss relaxing on the sofa, while the meticulous underling went about his tasks with flawless discipline.
Both had the vibe down perfectly.
"The award ceremony for this year's Honya Grand Prize will be held at the Meiji Memorial Hall. All ten nominees—except you, Boss—have already checked into the hotel prepared by the committee."
"We received the same invitation, but since you're still attending school, the committee was understanding."
"All the details are in the folder over there if you want to take a look."
The sound of running water, dishes clinking, and Kisaki's steady briefing blended together in the quiet morning air.
For someone like Kisaki, memorizing such matters was effortless.
The entire schedule was already locked in his head, and bringing the paperwork was just a formality.
He knew full well his Boss wouldn't bother reading any of it.
"Meiji Memorial Hall, huh?" Kyousuke muttered. He knew the place hosted weddings, but hadn't expected an award ceremony there.
If it was that venue, then he definitely had to bring Shouko along.
"Not the Meiji Shrine in Shibuya's Yoyogi district," Kisaki clarified instantly, sensing what his Boss was thinking.
"This is the former dining hall of the Akasaka Temporary Imperial Palace, where Emperor Meiji and Empress Shouken once lived. It's been renovated into an event space in Minato Ward."
"Do they hold weddings there too?" Kyousuke pressed on, unwilling to let go of the thought. "It is called Meiji, after all... seems like a waste not to have a wedding."
"…Well, yes, it is often used for wedding banquets," Kisaki admitted, not surprised in the slightest.
"So the ceremony's at Meiji Shrine, and the banquet's at the Meiji Memorial Hall. Got it," Kyousuke nodded in understanding.
'Is Boss already thinking about weddings? A Shinto ceremony, no less?' Kisaki was quietly shocked.
He had assumed Kyousuke would someday move to a country where polygamy was legal.
"Tomorrow night, the committee will host a banquet in the hall. You can bring two or three guests," Kisaki continued, carefully noting the details aloud.
"Only that few? Can the publisher arrange for a few extra spots?" Kyousuke asked.
Kisaki paused, thinking, 'Why not just say you want me and the two editors to stay home? But even that won't be enough for all the girls you want to bring…'
"There'll be a lot of media there," Kisaki warned calmly. "Reporters, photographers, news cameras… plenty of pictures taken."
He didn't argue for his own invitation, simply laying out the facts.
The Honya Grand Prize might have been chosen by bookstore clerks, giving off the appearance of being casual or lacking in prestige.
But in reality, nearly every winner also went on to receive major awards like the Naoki Prize, the Edogawa Rampo Prize, or the Yoshikawa Eiji Newcomer Award.
It attracted serious attention from the literary world.
If Kyousuke showed up dragging along his entire lineup of beautiful "companions," the tabloids wouldn't wait even a day.
Their special evening editions would hit the stands before the night was over.
The headlines practically wrote themselves:
"Outrageous? No, This is Japan's Most Typical Author!"
"From Jun'ichirō Tanizaki to Yukio Mishima—Are Writers Destined for Drama and Romance?"
"His Muses Made Him Great: A Look at the Women Behind the Genius"
And knowing his Boss, Kyousuke would hate being labeled as someone's "lover"—likely throwing a small fortune at lawyers to kill the word, but it'd be a wasted effort.
You could spin "lover" to mean anything.
Kisaki let his imagination run for a second before crafting what he felt was the perfect headline:
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"Japan's No. 1 Man of the Heisei Era—Why Do They All Love Him?"
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That kind of buzz practically guaranteed a Naoki Prize next.
"Oh, never mind then," Kyousuke said easily, giving up on the extra invitations.
"Akamatsu probably deserves to go to an event like this, anyway." He vaguely recalled how excited Akamatsu's editor had sounded on the phone the other day—it'd be cruel to deprive him of the chance.
As expected, Kisaki wasn't surprised.
His Boss was always like this—easygoing on the surface, but thoughtful underneath.
After finishing the dishes and loading them into the sterilizer, Kisaki rinsed his hands and sat down on the opposite sofa.
"Once Hirata gets back, we'll head to Chiyoda Ward to meet the publishers. From there, we'll ride with them to Minato Ward."
"The committee's hotel has a small reception planned—last year's grand prize winner, various bookstore reps from different regions, and the publishers will all be there."
Kyousuke understood right away.
This was part of next year's award politicking.
The reception itself meant nothing—it was just a stage for handshakes, card exchanges, and networking.
Authors rubbing shoulders and setting up future praise-trades for their books.
He poured Kisaki a cup of milk tea, then headed upstairs to change.
On the third floor—aside from the closets in everyone's rooms—there was a large walk-in wardrobe for off-season or rarely worn clothes.
Kyousuke's formal suits were kept there.
Opening the door, he was greeted by rows of redwood hangers lining both sides.
He slid open the second closet door without hesitation and pulled out the only suit not sealed in a garment bag—the one Naoka had checked for size and freshly ironed just yesterday.
It was deep navy blue, cut in a relaxed, semi-formal style—not the stiff, serious kind of business suit.
He was too young to show up in casual clothes at an event like this, but a proper suit made him look just mature enough to fit in without standing out awkwardly.
For tomorrow's main award ceremony, he'd switch to a pure black suit—that one was currently in Naoka's workshop.
Bringing the blue suit back to his room, he dressed in under two minutes.
No tie, of course. With so many beautiful girls around, tying it himself would've felt like a disgrace.
'Sigh…'
He let out a long breath, staring at the handsome, well-built man in the mirror.
Even if he aged twenty—no, fifty—years, he'd probably still be resented by his fellow men.
He shrugged, but the broad chest stretching the shirt and jacket couldn't be hidden.
'No helping it... It's not like I can just get plastic surgery.'
This face was given to me by Mom and Dad, and this body is the result of my own hard work.
'Honestly... I'm pretty perfect.'
Thinking that, Hojou Kyousuke fastened his cuffs, adjusted the knot on his left wrist so it showed just right, then snapped a quick photo in the mirror and posted it to the chat group for the residents of the Ruyi Dorm.
Ping, ping, ping—three new messages instantly popped up.
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"Wow."
"!!!"
"Kyousuke, turn back right now and pick me up! I want to go with you!"
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All from Yamauchi Sakura.
Half a second later, Shouko chimed in.
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"Kyousuke-kun, want me to help you with your tie? I can wait for you at the school gate."
"Hey, no fair!" came Sakura's immediate response, no doubt typing with her face right next to Shouko's.
"As expected, it suits you perfectly," Naoka commented with satisfaction.
"Is Kyousuke going to check out our wedding venue?" — Kasumigaoka Utaha.
"You bastard, just sleep through class like a good girl instead of acting all hot!" — Eriri.
"Don't tell me Kyousuke's running for mayor now? (つ≧▽≦)つ" — Miyamizu Mitsuha.
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Seeing Mitsuha's message, Kyousuke chuckled quietly.
It reminded him of the second time they swapped bodies, when he saw Miyamizu Toshiki—her father—dressed in a crisp gray suit, giving a campaign speech.
"I'm heading out now," he replied, slipping his phone into his pocket.
As he walked down the stairs, he noticed Kisaki standing ready at the bottom.
Remembering Sakura's earlier messages, Kyousuke spoke up.
"Is Hirata here yet?"
"Yes, everything's set. We can leave anytime, Aniki."
Kisaki gave a polite fifteen-degree bow. With a boss this tall, this sharp, this handsome... it was hard not to bow.
"Let's get going then."
"Woof-Woff-woof~!"
'Safe travels, Aniki! I'll guard the house real good!' Momotarou barked, hopping excitedly.
Sitting in the backseat, Hojou Kyousuke began flipping through the materials provided by the bookstore award committee, checking who had been nominated.
Kisaki had helpfully annotated each entry with relevant notes—especially any instances where the author might have badmouthed Kyousuke in the media.
His eyes paused on the very first entry.
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"Memories of the Night" — Osaka Go
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A brief synopsis and bookstore staff recommendation were listed below:
A woman suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's, surrounded by lies, betrayal, and love. Deception that isn't deception. Forgotten love. The body's memory.
"So even Osaka-senpai got nominated, huh? Funny he never mentioned it. And here I thought he was only good at grizzled detective stories."
"Never figured him for the romance type…" Kyousuke muttered, remembering Osaka Go's rough, stern appearance.
"Not exactly a proper mystery writer anymore with stuff like this… Disqualified! Disqualified!"
"Maybe he's just embarrassed about losing to a young genius like you, Aniki," Kisaki chuckled from the passenger seat.
Respect for seniors was not his thing.
Neither he nor the publisher had any doubt Kyousuke would take the grand prize.
"Could be," Kyousuke nodded.
By now it was past 9 AM.
Rush hour was long over, so the ride to the Eishuu Publishing building was smooth.
This was the headquarters for the whole group—both the manga and the novel divisions worked here.
Three years had passed, and the front desk girls had changed more times than he could count.
He'd heard the first receptionist he'd met when signing his debut contract now had a two-year-old child.
As soon as they walked in—before Kisaki Tetta could even confirm their appointment—the receptionist stepped forward and motioned them toward the elevator.
"Akamatsu-san and Editor-in-Chief Shimomura are already waiting for you in the meeting room," she said with a sweet smile, despite her slightly crooked teeth.
"Thank you," Kyousuke replied politely with a slight smile.
"What's Shimomura doing here? He's not with the novel division. Why's he sticking his nose into this?" Kyousuke asked Kisaki as the elevator doors closed.
"Probably to pester you into drawing another detective manga," Kisaki said with a knowing grin.
"A new series in Shonen Magic called The Immortal Shuichi just blew up big time, so Shimomura's getting antsy. He's probably begging every available author for a new detective title—not just you."
"Tch… poor guy's desperate, huh."
For Kyousuke, copying a hit manga idea would be child's play—but he'd rather spend that time on his anime studio projects.
The anime he promised Eriri, the romance novel he promised her... all still floating in the air.
"Turn him down for me, will you?"
This was why you had a manager.
Turning people down directly could sour relationships—but if Kisaki did it, there was always room to soften the blow.
"Of course."
Kisaki nodded.
He knew his boss wasn't the type to give in easily.
In fact, he'd already prepped countermeasures with Shimomura ahead of time.
Everyone knew Hojou Kyousuke's ridiculous speed at drawing manga—adding another series would be nothing for him.
If it were hard for Kyousuke, Kisaki would've urged him to drop manga altogether and do something easier and more profitable.
But in reality, for his Aniki, drawing manga was no harder than printing money—fame, fortune, and success all rolled into one easy gig.
'Knock knock.'
Kisaki rapped on the conference room door. A voice called out from within.
"Finally! We've been waiting forever, Hojou-san."
Strangely, the one to open the door was Shimomura Tetsuya—not someone from the novel department.
Clearly, he was here to push his own agenda.
"Cut it out. I was up reviewing until three in the morning. This afternoon I've got to rush back to school for a math test review session," Kyousuke rattled off smoothly.
Covering for his tardiness, killing off any talk of manga, and hinting that his series might even be delayed for exam prep.
Shimomura's smile stiffened.
After greeting Kisaki Tetta with a nod, he clapped Kyousuke heavily on the shoulder and dragged him inside.
"Nakamura just texted me—you aced yesterday's math quiz, full marks."
"Why don't you pick a private university you like and let the publisher handle the rest? No strings attached—guaranteed acceptance," Shimomura muttered as he flopped onto the sofa.
With Kyousuke's fame, no private university would dare turn him down.
He was a walking, talking PR jackpot.
"Haha—Akamatsu-san, Osaka-san. Long time no see," Kyousuke greeted warmly as he sat down on the empty sofa.
Across from him sat Osaka Go; to his right was Akamatsu Yuuki.
Kisaki took the seat beside him, nodding to the others—he'd dealt with these people even more often than Kyousuke had.
"Seeing you in person is damn near impossible these days. What happened to the whole 'relaxed education' thing? Still not relaxed enough for you?" Osaka Go grumbled with a laugh.
They'd planned to grab a meal together forever ago, but a year had passed without even a text.
"Our school's prepping for the sports festival. Super busy," Kyousuke said, smacking his forehead.
"Oh, right—this kind of thing might be ancient history for you, Osaka."
"The sports festival is when a big crowd of girls in short skirts stand on the sidelines cheering for me, and then…"
"Enough, enough, I know what a sports festival is! Have you decided which university you're aiming for yet? I can even write you a recommendation letter if you want. I'll get the president to write one too."
"And if that's not enough, I can have the president introduce you to the head of the Japan Book Promotion Association. So hurry up and get into college already!"
Osaka Go waved his hand exaggeratedly as the two editors beside him burst into laughter.
"What about Ochanomizu Women's University?" someone teased.
"Of course! I'll vouch for you myself—personally certify that you've got the body of a man and the heart of a woman!" Osaka Go declared, slapping the table for emphasis.
"Hahaha, no thanks. I'm not done being a man yet."
The jokes settled for the moment.
The reception on the other side of the venue wouldn't start for a while, so the group sipped tea and chatted casually.
Naturally, the center of the conversation was Hojou Kyousuke—talking about detective manga, then the Naoki Prize, then back to detective manga, then the Japan Mystery Writers' Award… and more detective manga.
"Give me a break, Shimomura-san. You and Masao both know—the summer Koshien and the national kendo tournament qualifiers are coming up soon. I barely have time to split myself in two, let alone draw another volume."
Kyousuke pleaded as Kisaki Tetta quietly rolled his eyes beside him.
No one else might know, but he did. His big brother might be telling the truth, but the real reason he was so 'busy' wasn't work.
It was because he was constantly surrounded by too many women to keep up with.
Seriously—what kind of man puts his career on the back burner like this?
Kisaki knew his brother too well to expect any strong ambition.
If only Kyousuke could see "career" as just another girl in his life—maybe then he'd give it proper attention.
"Actually, there's another manga getting a TV adaptation soon," Shimomura Tetsuya suddenly changed the topic.
"Isn't that happening every other day now?" Akamatsu Yuki raised an eyebrow.
Manga-to-anime projects were so common these days that a new one popping up daily wouldn't be a surprise.
"No, no—this one's special. It's Koike-sensei's latest work!"
"Koike-sensei? Wait... you mean 'Neighbor Neighbor Neighbor'?" Kyousuke asked, surprised.
"Exactly!"
"Oh! Can you recommend me for the key animation team?"
"...Huh?"
Shimomura and Kisaki both blinked. That wasn't the reaction they'd expected.
They exchanged puzzled glances.
Shimomura's eyes silently screamed what's going on?—because Kisaki had assured him that Kyousuke's collaborator Lily absolutely loved that manga.
The plan was to use that fact as leverage to make Kyousuke obedient.
Kisaki was just as confused.
Hadn't his big brother asked him to get souvenir merch from the publisher because Sawamura was the one who liked that manga? So why now...
He knew that manga well enough.
It was a light-hearted story about a female college student getting into all kinds of mischief with a bunch of little girls from her neighborhood.
Personally, Kisaki didn't see the appeal, but people online called it wholesome, funny, and healing.
Sure, little girls loving it made sense.
Even some guys might like it. But for his brother—his brother—to be a fan?
That didn't fit at all.
He'd definitely claimed it was for Sawamura before!
"So it's finally getting an anime, huh? The production studio better not mess this up. Which company's handling it?" Kyousuke asked, like a proud grandparent watching his grandchild graduate.
"It's Marshmallow Studio," Shimomura answered automatically.
"Marshmallow, huh..." Kyousuke recalled their past work and gave a small nod. "Not bad."
"But I still don't feel at ease. Can you introduce me for a key animation spot? If not the first key animator, at least the second."
"The pay's negotiable. As long as I can make sure this series gets the ending it deserves, I'll be satisfied."
"Big bro... didn't you say you didn't have time?"
Kisaki couldn't believe this twist.
He'd been the one pushing Kyousuke to make time for work, and now this...
"Aah~ I can make time for this. My deadlines will still be fine. So how about it, Shimomura-san? If it's inconvenient for you, I'll contact the studio directly," Kyousuke said, eyes sparkling like a true otaku.
"Uh... wait... wasn't Lily the one who loved this manga?" Shimomura dabbed sweat off his forehead.
They'd cleared time for Kyousuke—but not for him to work on the wrong project.
What was going on?
"We all love it," Kyousuke replied cheerfully. "Eriri got hooked first, then she recommended it to me. After that, Mitsuha picked it up—she's always loved cute, slice-of-life stuff."
"Now in the whole dorm, there's not a single person who doesn't adore 'Neighbor Neighbor Neighbor'."
"Sakura even keeps begging me to draw a manga about her adventures—little Sakura running wild with me through Suimon City, causing chaos everywhere."
"Ahem... Well, in that case, you really should let Lily take this chance. Honestly, Hojou-san, you're so clueless about women's hearts. You've got this rare, perfect opportunity to show your feelings—how can you think only of yourself?"
Shimomura lectured like a veteran editor.
Osaka Go nearly split his sides laughing.
Someone daring to teach Hojou Kyousuke about reading women's feelings—what a riot.
"Ahh... you're right. I'll let Eriri handle it then," Kyousuke sighed, as if reluctantly handing her another chance to grow.
Kisaki felt a twinge of suspicion.
That was way too easy.
Had his brother seen through his little scheme? He stole a glance, but Kyousuke's expression gave away nothing.
"Ahem... actually, the voice cast hasn't been finalized yet either," Shimomura added nervously.
Even Osaka Go and Akamatsu Yuki could sense the strange atmosphere now.
Kyousuke slowly turned toward Kisaki.
The younger man stiffened, raising his teacup to his lips—but his hand was trembling, the cup rattling softly against the saucer.
"Kisaki. Steady your hands, or you'll spill it."
"Y-Yes, sir!" Kisaki yelped, making Shimomura flinch.
"Bring me the list of available roles later."
"Yes, sir!"
"For a detective manga, what do you think of this premise: A ten-year-old girl performing surgeries while uncovering the truth behind her parents' murder?"
Kyousuke glanced at Shimomura, who felt as if a jackpot had fallen into his lap.
Key animator positions, voice acting roles, manuscript fees—this was practically charity.
With Kyousuke's current speed, he could crank out six months of updates in a single day—it was easier than unbuttoning a shirt.
"...Stop joking, Hojou-san. Be serious. The whole editorial department's counting on you to deliver something that can compete with 'Undying Shuuichi'."
"Fine then—how about an eternally seven-year-old boy constantly risking his life trying to find a way to grow up?"
"Stop it..."
"I'm not joking. I've already drawn some pages. You can see them now if you want."
Kyousuke pulled out his phone with a grin.
Detective novelist or not, he'd never let go of his love for mystery manga.
After all, this world lacked many of the masterpieces he remembered from his past life.
He didn't intend to plagiarize as some grand cultural mission—but if borrowing ideas could earn him some easy money along the way, why not?
"Mm? Let me have a look."
Shimomura Tetsuya took the phone and quickly scrolled through the screen.
Hmm, a classic genius high school student with a mystery novelist father...
This alone could make for great promotional material: "A masterpiece where Hojo-sensei plays both roles!" Childhood friend... okay, maybe skip that in the ads.
A secret black-clad organization, a drug that shrinks the body, a retired, drunken detective, living under the same roof as the childhood friend, bathing together...
Yoshi. All the right ingredients are here!
"Ahh~ what genius creativity! As expected of Hojou-sensei—any random idea he casually pulls out turns into such a masterpiece."
"Incredible, truly incredible! Only after meeting you did I realize true manga genius actually exists! This is it—our magazine's sales will skyrocket again thanks to you..."
"Stop, stop, that's enough of the flattery," Kyousuke quickly cut in, waving his hand. "At the end of the day, I'm just putting a story from another world onto paper. That's all."
"Hahaha, I get it, I get it. A genius sees what normal people can't—the other world itself!" Akamatsu Yuuki added with a grin.
Compared to novelists, manga artists were still tame; there were writers who couldn't put pen to paper unless they were drunk out of their minds.
"Hey, let me see too!"
Ousaka Tsuyoshi walked around the table and squeezed in beside Kisaki to get a look.
After reading a bit, he raised his head, staring at Hojo Kyousuke with a strangely serious expression.
"You... you really might be a genius, you know that?"
"Of course he is! My big bro's definitely a genius!" Kisaki snapped, clearly displeased.
"No, no, I mean real genius," Ousaka said, standing up straight with a rare solemn face.
"The kind we ordinary people can't reach. When most folks call someone 'genius,' they really mean 'disciplined'—willing to endure hardship, keep grinding, maybe catch the occasional spark of brilliance from years of practice. People like me. Like most of us."
"But Hojou Kyousuke... this guy's different. It's like he's the center of the universe itself—whatever he wants to do, he succeeds. As if the world bends to let him win."
"Alright, alright, that's enough already..." Kyousuke waved his hand dismissively, uncomfortable with the praise.
"I have a proposal!" Osaka suddenly shouted.
"Let's send Hojou Kyousuke to a biological research lab... and have them figure out how to make everyone as happy and successful as he is!"
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