"Give me your phone. Add me on Line. Since you call me 'Onii-san,' feel free to reach out anytime."
Yukima Azuma held out his hand to Hayasaka Ai.
With a faint sigh, Ai handed over her personal phone, and the two exchanged contact information.
If any other guy had tried something like this, Ai would've already knocked him flat. But Azuma wasn't just any boy—he was stronger, sharper, and somehow always a few steps ahead. Even if she didn't fully accept him as her "uncle," she couldn't bring herself to treat him like a stranger anymore.
Before turning to leave, Azuma gently patted her head.
Her hair fluttered under his hand.
Not a bad feeling, he thought.
As he walked away, Ai noticed a certain someone staring at her.
Kaguya's crimson eyes were locked onto her, filled with silent scrutiny.
"…Kaguya-sama? Is there something you want to ask?"
Kaguya tilted her head slightly, still watching.
"What's the deal with him?"
She meant Azuma, of course.
If she could bring someone like him under her influence, all her plans would unfold with far greater ease.
"My mother met him on Wall Street," Ai replied calmly. "He has an investment operation there. She said he's very capable. Not from any famous clan, but self-made and wealthy."
Kaguya's interest deepened.
Hayasaka Nao was no fool. If she rated this man highly, there had to be something exceptional about him.
Ai, however, withheld the biggest truth: her mother wasn't just impressed—she was working for Azuma now.
She didn't dare tell Kaguya that.
Even though Nao was still officially on the Shinomiya payroll, she'd essentially been exiled. Finding new paths was only natural… but Kaguya wouldn't see it that way.
Kaguya's eyes narrowed as she processed Ai's words. "So Nao-san thinks highly of him…"
That alone made Azuma's value rise in her eyes.
Kaguya had called Ai her "sister" earlier—not out of courtesy, but sincerity. Since birth, Hayasaka Nao had been her wet nurse. Ai had grown up by her side. Their bond was closer than most siblings.
Which meant… if Nao trusted this man, Kaguya had to consider him carefully.
Ai hesitated. She wanted to warn her mistress.
That man—Yukima Azuma—wasn't someone to control. He had wealth, strength, and terrifying ambition.
More than that, when he looked at Kaguya, there was no awe or greed. Just indifference.
But when he looked at Ai…
There was desire.
Not lust—but the hunger of a strategist discovering a valuable piece on the board.
Ai wanted to say: "Mistress, the man you want to recruit doesn't care about you—he's already set his eyes on me."
But in the end, she said nothing.
There were lines even a Hayasaka couldn't cross.
Elsewhere…
After his morning workout, Azuma returned to his apartment complex—only to find a familiar figure standing outside.
"…Real estate agent-san?"
It was the same woman who had shown him the place back during spring break.
She gave a sheepish smile.
"I've had two clients this morning, both young, professional women. Funny thing is, they both insisted on renting this exact apartment."
Azuma raised a brow.
She glanced behind her.
Two women stood there, both poised and beautiful—though their expressions differed wildly.
The agent leaned in. "Do you… know them?"
Azuma chuckled. "What a coincidence. Yeah, I do. Go ahead and bring me the contracts—I'll sign them."
The agent blinked in surprise but hurried to comply.
Azuma took the two rental contracts and approached the women.
"Kirisu-sensei. Yukinoshita-san. Small world, huh?"
Indeed—it was Kirisu Mafuyu and Yukinoshita Yukino.
Mafuyu had come to oversee Azuma's lifestyle. Yukino, meanwhile, simply loved the atmosphere of the place. Now they were both standing here, bags in hand, caught in an awkward silence.
Without saying more, Azuma handed them their contracts.
After a beat, both women signed.
The agent collected her commission and fled the scene—eager to avoid getting dragged into whatever romantic drama was clearly unfolding.
Azuma helped the two women move in.
The commotion woke the other three girls living in the house. As they peeked out and caught sight of Kirisu and Yukinoshita, a flurry of silent thoughts and silent rivalries stirred.
After helping carry their things upstairs, Azuma fetched two white nameplates and neatly wrote their names: "Kirisu Mafuyu" and "Yukinoshita Yukino."
He hung them on the doors.
"Need help setting up?" he asked casually.
Both women shook their heads.
Azuma left.
Inside one of the new rooms, Yukino and Mafuyu sat across from each other on the bed.
Neither spoke at first.
Eventually, Yukino broke the silence.
"It's been a while, Mafuyu-sensei."
"Yeah. It has, Yukino."
The two women had history.
The year Yukino enrolled at Toyogasaki was the same year Mafuyu started teaching. Yukino had been her first star student.
For Mafuyu, those memories were mixed with pride… and guilt.
"…Do you know Yukima Azuma?" Mafuyu finally asked.
They spoke in sync. Then paused. Then Yukino gestured for her to go first.
"He's my student," Mafuyu sighed. "A problem child. Just like you were."
Yukino was surprised—even though she had suspected he was young, she didn't expect this young. She thought maybe he'd dropped out early and founded a company, but…
A high school student?
Controlling Laplace Corporation?
"…What about you?" Mafuyu asked. "How do you know him?"
Yukino hesitated, then answered honestly.
"I work for his company."
Mafuyu stared.
She remembered Azuma mentioning something about "starting a company" after making money from games. But this?
"With your talents, how did you end up at his company?" she asked, concern creasing her brow.
Yukino smiled bitterly.
"Mafuyu-sensei, I kind of regret not listening to you when I was younger."
She remembered the months of job-hopping, being fired again and again, nearly drowning in the Tokyo rat race.
Mafuyu's guilt deepened. She had failed Yukino—not academically, but emotionally.
But before she could speak, Yukino looked up.
"…But joining his company wasn't a failure. It was the turning point."
Mafuyu blinked.
Laplace Corporation wasn't just some startup.
"His company isn't small," Yukino continued. "It's a multinational corporation with a registered capital of over 1.5 billion yen."
"A graduate from the University of Tokyo would be lucky to work there."
Mafuyu stared, stunned.
1.5 billion yen?
That same problem child had brushed it off as "a small investment?"