"That was an amazing lecture, Hojou. Honestly, I'm tempted to talk to the other math teachers about having you give a lesson to the entire grade every week."
Half the class had barely passed when Kyousuke finished explaining the entire exam paper.
Every time he asked if there were any questions, all he got were shaking heads.
Even the math teacher was so pleased he gave him a round of applause.
"Oh no, that won't be necessary. I'm just good at solving problems. It's better to leave the teaching to the professionals," Kyousuke said, setting the chalk down and rubbing the dust off his fingers.
"Ah, fair enough. We wouldn't want this to get in the way of your own studies!" The math teacher, Ide Kazuma, nodded in approval. Excellent—truly a model student.
After exchanging a quick nod with the teacher, Hojou Kyousuke returned to his seat, test paper in hand.
Then, the math teacher took back the spotlight.
"What Hojou just explained was excellent. However, some of those methods aren't really suitable for you all."
"It's not that he's wrong, but with your current abilities, you probably can't instantly spot solutions the way he does. So, for now, it's better to stick with the standard methods…"
As he went on and on, the students wore increasingly bitter expressions.
Yes, everyone knew Hojou was incredible—but did he really have to rub it in?
The class flew by, and as the bell neared, the math teacher left them with one final message:
"Make sure to study Hojou's approach carefully—it'll raise your ceiling tremendously!"
The bell finally rang.
All eyes immediately darted to the back-right corner of the classroom, expecting to see the familiar handsome face… but instead, they found a certain problem student snoozing on his desk.
Well then.
We might not be able to copy his genius approach to problem-solving, but we can copy his sleeping posture during math class!
That thought echoed in the minds of the math-averse crowd—led by Hikigaya Hachiman.
Of course, they all knew that if they dared to sleep through math class, the teacher would toss them into the hallway to "refresh themselves," and if they kept it up, it'd be a straight call to their parents.
————————————————————————
Meanwhile, at Toyogasaki Academy
In Class 3-C, a rare phenomenon occurred.
The usually sleepy Kasumigaoka Utaha was wide awake and completely absorbed in her phone.
That alone wouldn't be too surprising—she often stayed up reading novels.
But what really shocked her classmates was her face.
The icy, perpetually clouded expression of the school's reigning beauty queen… was currently lit up with a dazzling smile.
Had the world ended?
That was the only explanation her classmates could think of for this utterly uncharacteristic sight.
After all, this aloof, unreachable flower of the highlands was famous for her apathy toward everything and everyone.
Despite being the complete opposite of the warm, friendly Eriri, Utaha's cool, intellectual allure had amassed her own legion of loyal admirers.
Her unapproachable aura only made her more sought-after, the embodiment of the ultimate onee-san archetype.
Right now, several girls in Class 3-C exchanged nervous glances, practically itching to ask what had gotten into her.
But their legs refused to move—Utaha's longstanding queenly aura held them in place.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, still smiling, slowly lifted her gaze from the screen.
She had meant to glance out the window toward the direction of Sobu High, but her sharp eyes instead caught the stares of a few nearby girls.
As her crimson eyes locked onto them, the girls froze like petrified animals—like they'd just looked into the eyes of Medusa.
Guilt flooded their minds, even though none of them had done anything wrong.
"…Is there something you need?"
Her voice was cool as always, but the faint curve at the corners of her lips hadn't faded.
The whole expression felt unusually gentle.
"Ah!"
Three startled squeaks burst out, and two of the girls instantly shoved the one in the middle forward—like sending a sacrificial lamb to a benevolent dragon.
Or maybe, just a very good-looking one.
The girl pushed forward was Shirai Satomi, the president of the unofficial Kasumigaoka fan club.
Although the club only had three members, she had been chosen as the "leader" specifically so they'd have someone to take the fall in situations like this—just like now.
'So scary… Even when she's smiling, she's still so scary! But that's exactly what makes her beautiful…!'
Torn between fear and admiration, Shirai Satomi took two reluctant steps forward, standing before the queen herself.
"U-Um…"
She was dying to run, but when she noticed that Utaha's smile looked like it might fade, she panicked and blurted:
"We wanted to ask—"
'Idiot! Just say it's you! Don't drag us into this!'
The other two girls screamed internally.
"—we wanted to ask if something good happened to you today?"
The moment she finished, she quickly stepped back, like someone surrendering to the cops.
The other two finally peeked out from behind her, eyes full of curiosity and suspense.
And then, they saw it—Kasumigaoka's mood really was amazing.
"Oh~?"
Utaha leaned back in her chair slightly and crossed her right leg over her left knee.
That one smooth motion made the elegant line of her stocking-clad foot all the more alluring, and the three girls' eyes couldn't help but wander.
"The person I like won an award," she said casually.
No hesitation, no embarrassment, no coyness.
The black-haired, red-eyed beauty had never cared to hide such things.
"S-Someone you like!?"
Shirai Satomi shrieked.
Two hands flew from behind and clamped her mouth shut, but the other two were just as shocked—mouths agape, wide enough to swallow half a fist.
Or if it were a small dog like Momotarou, maybe even the whole head.
The famously cool and untouchable Kasumigaoka… in love?
With someone?
When did this happen?
WHO was it!?
HOW were they just now hearing about this!?
A thousand questions exploded in their brains.
"Yup," Utaha confirmed with a light smile.
Then she casually turned her phone screen toward them.
Shirai Satomi immediately stepped forward and leaned down, with the other two craning their necks so hard they nearly glued their faces to the screen.
On the screen was a Yahoo Japan article.
The headline, bold and dramatic, was cluttered with kanji and exclamation marks, using enough の's to give anyone a headache.
————————————————————————
[A Fierce Clash! Explosive Showdown!]
[Will the Reign of the New Genius Continue, or Will the Veteran Culture Claim Another Victory!?]
————————————————————————
Anyone with poor lung capacity would have to breathe twice just to get through the title.
And yet, for all its noise, it said basically nothing about what the article was actually about.
The three girls quickly scrolled down. Still no body text—just a photo.
A young man in a dark blue suit, his features sharp and his smile effortlessly charming, looked directly at the camera.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
"Huh? That's the guy KASUMIGAOKA-san likes?"
So handsome! The three girls internally screamed the moment they saw his face.
As they scrolled further, the next photo wasn't just of that man alone.
The image now centered on another man wearing a deep crimson suit.
'Ugh! Gross! He's blocking our view of the hottie!'
Looking more closely, the three girls finally spotted the handsome guy again—this time standing behind a middle-aged man.
The contrast was striking: the older man's liver-colored face twisted in arrogance, while the younger man's smile remained elegant and poised.
It was obvious some kind of conflict had taken place between them.
The article was cleverly arranged. Rather than jumping straight into the incident, it started with a solo photo of Kyousuke—clearly to hook the reader first.
And it worked. The setup was effective in sparking interest.
The article finally got to the point.
————————————————————————
[A fierce competition between two rising stars for the top honor of the Honya Taishō literary award: Hojou Kyousuke vs. Ishida Hidenori.]
————————————————————————
The article wasn't long, and they finished reading it quickly.
Although the award ceremony hadn't started yet, Ishida Hidenori had already made a bold declaration—saying Hojou Kyousuke would soon be clapping for him from below the stage.
'Who is this guy? He's totally delusional.'
The three girls didn't quite remember who Hojou Kyousuke was or what the Honya Taishō award meant.
But as hardcore fans of good-looking men, they immediately decided the award belonged to him.
Even if it wasn't for his looks, they certainly didn't want that smug, liver-faced man standing on stage acting all self-important.
"Kasumigaoka-san, is that your boyfriend?" Shirai Satomi asked excitedly, pointing straight at the screen, all her earlier jealousy about her idol being "taken" completely forgotten.
Naturally, she was pointing at the photo of Hojou Kyousuke—his face large on the screen.
No sane person would assume Kasumigaoka was talking about anyone else.
"My boyfriend, huh…"
As she repeated the question, Kasumigaoka's mind rapidly flashed through names: Yamauchi Sakura, Nishimiya Shouko, Miyamizu Mitsuha, Eriri…
Even with her quick thinking, it still took her a full two seconds to mentally sift through them all—leaving the three girls in awkward silence as they waited.
Kasumigaoka casually crossed her right leg down and raised her left, once again displaying her long, shapely legs clad in sleek black stockings.
The movement instantly drew the attention of the three girls, whose sexual orientations were starting to feel… flexible.
Gulp. Shirai Satomi swallowed hard and mentally chanted:
'I'm not into girls, I'm not into girls. It's just human nature to appreciate beautiful things!'
Still, she couldn't help but fixate on Kasumigaoka's full, crimson lips—waiting, hoping to hear the answer she longed for.
Kasumigaoka-san and Hojou Kyousuke together? That'd be such a gorgeous couple!
"…He's not my boyfriend yet, but he will be the father of my children."
There wasn't a hint of doubt in Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice.
She was absolutely certain.
If this conversation had been in English, she would've used the plural form: children.
'C—children?!'
Shirai Satomi's eyes went wide as she stared at the elegant girl in front of her, now radiating a warm, almost maternal glow.
The other two girls were equally stunned.
'Is this what people mean by "gap moe"?'
She was usually so cold, distant, and aloof—like she wanted to shut the world out.
The type who'd start any conversation with "Don't waste my time." And yet here she was, casually dreaming about raising children with the man she liked, like a totally normal girl.
'This… this is too precious!'
Just imagining the scene—beautiful parents with a cute baby—made Shirai Satomi feel like she might pass out from happiness.
'I'll babysit! I'll be your housekeeper! Anything!'
She screamed internally.
"Wait, I just remembered—Hojou Kyousuke! Isn't he the guy who won 'This Manga is Amazing!' last year? The author of 'The Devotion of Suspect X'?"
One of the girls suddenly blurted it out like a startled prairie dog.
"Oh right! Wasn't he the one the principal mentioned would be transferring to our school? The guy who won the national kendo championship two years in a row in both individual and team events?"
As her friends pieced it together, Shirai Satomi finally recognized where she'd heard the name before.
He'd even visited their school once—and apparently knew a second-year student named Sawamura.
She'd seen him in person, and yep—just like the photo.
Still, she hadn't recognized him at first in that suit.
Children…
Shirai Satomi blushed hard at the word again.
Whether a boy or a girl, if the child took after Kasumigaoka-senpai, they'd definitely be beautiful. And if it was a boy?
Even better. Either way, they'd be adorable.
"Congratulations, Kasumigaoka-san!" she said earnestly, clasping her hands to her chest.
"Thank you~" Kasumigaoka replied with a bright, genuine smile. Her usual cool demeanor melted away as she beamed at her classmate's kind words.
"Oh, right. You're all part of the drama club too, aren't you?"
"Yes! Well, we've technically stepped down already," Shirai Satomi said quickly.
Since the drama club was the only club Kasumigaoka ever joined, of course the three girls had signed up too!
Though she was the club's heart and soul, even now in her third year, they had retired early to focus on academics.
"I'm planning to bring Kyousuke to the drama club sometime soon to give everyone some tips. I'll introduce him to you then."
Kasumigaoka's expression turned unmistakably proud.
Her wine-red eyes sparkled beneath her bangs.
She looked every bit the graceful big sister, but the girlish excitement was practically spilling out of her.
"Really? Are you serious?!"
All three girls squealed in unison.
"Mhm. Kyousuke's actually very easy to get along with—unlike me," Kasumigaoka said with a soft chuckle.
"W-what? That's not true, Kasumigaoka-san is—" Shirai Satomi cut herself off.
Even a diehard fangirl couldn't say with a straight face that Kasumigaoka Utaha was "easy to get along with."
"I'll let you know when it's happening."
Kasumigaoka knew perfectly well how people saw her—and she didn't mind one bit.
"Thank you!" the three girls squeaked together, bowing like they were in front of a noble senior.
"Run along now~" Kasumigaoka said with a gentle wave.
"Yes, ma'am!"
With such juicy news in hand, the girls rushed back to their seats to gush about it.
Nearby students, having seen Kasumigaoka's unusually sunny smile, couldn't help sneaking glances before swarming in closer.
Why was the ice queen of Toyogasaki suddenly glowing with joy? And why were those three girls able to chat with her for so long?
Seeing the growing curiosity, Shirai Satomi hesitated. Then, after a moment of inner conflict, she turned to Kasumigaoka.
"Um… Kasumigaoka-san, is it okay if we tell others about what you just said?"
'Wait, what?! Are you crazy?!' the gossip-hungry students screamed in their minds.
'Why would you ask that?! Are you trying to get us killed?!'
Everyone had come to ask her, not Kasumigaoka herself—for fear of being struck down by her chilling gaze.
But—
"Sure, I don't mind~" Kasumigaoka nodded gently, her voice unexpectedly soft.
"Thank you!" Satomi nodded enthusiastically and turned to share the story with the surrounding students.
Her two friends also jumped in, pulling up photos of Kyousuke on their phones and proudly showing him off.
"You're kidding, right!?"
"Is this for real!?"
"This is amazing!"
Similar voices echoed across the classroom, growing louder with each exclamation.
Shirai Satomi nodded excitedly, clearly thrilled that her idol had finally found happiness.
Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned back in her chair, reaching behind her neck to gather her long, silky black hair and drape it neatly over the chair's backrest.
Her legs, clad in smooth black stockings, remained elegantly crossed without a single gap between them.
She narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched the group in front of her chattering nonstop about her and Hojou.
Perfect.
Let them keep spreading the rumor—let it spread across the entire school.
Let it reach Naoka, let it reach Eriri's ears.
I want to see what that blonde princess will do.
Will she drop her act and finally admit how she feels about Hojou? Or will she keep playing pretend, eyes and ears closed, stuck in her little make-believe world?
Just imagining Eriri's carefully composed smile cracking the moment she hears the news—her struggling to say "It's nothing" while everyone around her stares in concern—sent a fresh wave of delight through Utaha.
She respected Eriri's talent and admired her hard work.
She liked her as a rival.
As a friend, even. She looked forward to collaborating with her one day.
But only after Utaha had won.
How fast can gossip spread in a high school?
If it were something like "Katou Megumi made two new friends," it probably wouldn't reach anyone beyond Ohashi and maybe one other person before graduation.
But if the rumor involved Kasumigaoka Utaha—the reigning queen of Toyogasaki, top of every exam since her first year, the untouchable cool beauty—then it would spread like wildfire.
The class bell rang. Phones lit up everywhere.
The message was more or less the same on every screen, though occasionally exaggerated.
One moment Utaha supposedly had a child, and the next it was twins.
Exaggerations piled on top of corrections, only to be replaced by even more outlandish versions seconds later.
And the only one in class who remained completely unaware?
That would be none other than Sawamura Spencer Eriri, who—even if she didn't understand what was happening—kept her eyes locked on the blackboard and diligently filled pages with neat, beautiful notes.
Her study habits, just like her appearance, were flawless.
"Hey, Eriri, did you hear?"
As soon as class ended, Ishizawa Kumari dashed over, unable to contain herself.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai from third year already has two kids with that famous author Hojou Kyousuke! Twins!"
'Snap.'
The sound of a pencil breaking clean in half.
"Uh… Eriri? Are you okay?"
Kumari looked down at the broken pencil in Eriri's delicate fingers.
Who knew this petite girl had so much grip strength?
"Huh? What? I'm fine. Totally fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?"
Eriri smiled robotically, every word forced out like it was scraping through clenched teeth.
"But… your pencil just snapped. And you look really angry."
"Pencil? Oh, that's nothing. I've got plenty. Look—Kyousuke sharpened all of these for me himself."
She set the broken pencil aside and unzipped her toast-shaped pencil case, revealing a full set of neatly sharpened pencils inside.
(For the record, even in high school and college in Japan, pencils are still widely used—especially for note-taking and exams.)
"That's not the point…" Kumari muttered.
"So," Eriri continued with a smile too sweet to be sincere, "this story about Kasumigaoka already having kids—is it about some ex-boyfriend who showed up from her hometown in Wakou City with the kids in tow?"
"Wait, Kasumigaoka-senpai's from Wakou City?" Kumari, distracted by that new bit of info, didn't even notice that Eriri had dropped the honorifics.
"But no," she continued, "it's not some old flame. Apparently, she married that famous guy Hojou Kyousuke—the one who was supposed to transfer here. They even had twins!"
'Snap.'
Another pencil snapped, just seconds after the last.
Normally, Eriri would've winced at seeing Kyousuke's careful handiwork wasted—but right now, her heart was filled with nothing but rage.
"That kind of absurd, monkey-flying-an-airplane nonsense—who even made that up?"
Her voice was still sweet, but the stiffness in her smile was undeniable.
"Is it that crazy?" Kumari scratched her head.
"I mean… they look good together. I really wanna see what their kids would look like!"
"Of course it's crazy!" Eriri barked. "Use your brain. Have you ever seen that woman pregnant in the last two years? Even if you're going to make up lies, at least make them believable!"
Her voice had suddenly risen, and Kumari flinched.
She didn't know why Eriri was so upset—but she did know she had to clarify something.
"Eriri… y-you know that in Japan, girls can legally get married at sixteen, right? Kasumigaoka-senpai was already in high school before we were, so maybe it happened back then…"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!" Eriri's head shook violently, her twin-tails flaring out like golden propellers.
"B-But I think she said it herself—to her whole class! That she and Hojou are together. And she even said he's going to win the Honya Taisho award tomorrow."
"Of course he'll win! But that has nothing to do with Kasumigaoka Utaha!"
Wow. Eriri's expression is really scary right now.
Kumari blinked.
Eriri was still smiling, technically—but the usual warmth in her crystal-blue eyes was gone, replaced with something sharp and furious.
Kumari racked her brain, trying to understand where this sudden anger was coming from… but nothing made sense.
"I, uh… just remembered I have something to do," Eriri mumbled, getting up from her seat.
"Bathroom? I'll go with you!" Kumari offered.
But it was too late—Eriri was already at the back door, the last glimmer of her golden hair disappearing down the hallway.
'Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.'
Each stomp of her feet echoed through the hall, her frustration as loud as her footsteps.
For someone so small, Eriri had to throw her entire body into each step just to make such heavy sounds.
It was like a little kid imitating a sumo wrestler's pre-match stomps.
'Kasumigaoka Utaha!!!'
Eriri shouted in her mind as she stormed off toward a classroom she had thought about countless times—but never once dared to enter.
Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable.
That lying witch! That two-faced woman who never stops spouting nonsense!