Sakurai-kun had never imagined his luck could be this bad.
Outside the library, he stood before a vending machine, staring at it as if it were a sworn enemy. His mind wandered. Normally, how low would the probability of a malfunction be? One in a thousand? One in ten thousand?
"…"
With arms crossed, he scrutinized the dispenser, then gave it a sharp tap.
After a few minutes of waiting—and confirming this was not like the TV back home, which sometimes fixed itself after a hit—Sakurai-kun realized he needed to take drastic measures.
"In three seconds, the machine in front of me will drop the drink I paid for earlier," he muttered.
An invisible ripple passed.
Three seconds later—
Clang!
The satisfying sound of a can hitting metal echoed.
Indeed, the effect of his "Incantation" ability depended on the difficulty of the event. The lower the difficulty, the higher the chance of success. Forcing a malfunctioning vending machine to release a coffee was a very simple event.
It was like code written by programmers: even if the "horse" named [Program] had an abstract head, as long as its four legs were intact, it could still run. This vending machine's code had probably stumbled—but that only made it easier to nudge with his power.
Sakurai-kun picked up the canned coffee and cracked it open.
The library didn't allow food or drinks inside. Energy replenishment had to be done here, at the entrance.
The bitter taste spread across his tongue, sharpening his thoughts. He glanced back at the vending machine.
After a few seconds of hesitation, his annoyance grew. He dug out another coin.
Clink.
This time, after pressing the button—
Clang!
The drink dropped as expected. But then—
Beep-boop-beep-boop~!
The machine played a cheerful jingle. He had won a free drink.
"Hm." Sakurai-kun raised an eyebrow. His first-ever win from one of these things.
The irritation he felt earlier eased. A smirk tugged at his lips as he pressed the button again.
"…"
Silence.
Once more, the vending machine jammed.
Sakurai-kun ground his teeth. "Explode, you piece of junk!"
But this time, his ability didn't activate.
With a frustrated kick, he abandoned the traitorous machine and tossed the empty can into the nearby bin.
Bag slung over his shoulder, fresh drink in hand, he entered the library.
Two minutes later—
Another boy approached the machine. He bought a drink, bent down, and blinked.
"Huh? An extra bottle?"
Delighted, he grabbed it. "Lucky! My luck is amazing today!"
Of course, he had no idea whose misfortune that "freebie" really was.
Meanwhile, in Class 2-F—
The Nakano sisters had finished tidying their things. Together, they prepared to head to the library.
This year, all five of them had ended up in the same class. Was it a coincidence? Or had their father—usually reluctant to meddle—arranged it behind the scenes?
"Nino, why are you walking so fast?" Itsuki asked, noticing her sister striding ahead with unusual urgency.
Last week, Nino had been adamant she'd rather die than accept Sakurai-kun's tutoring. But now… she was practically leading the charge.
Had she already "died once" and changed her mind?
"What? I just want to see if his teaching level is good enough, can't I?" Nino retorted.
Her words were cool, but inwardly she was buzzing with anticipation.
Today's subject was English—her strong point. She was determined to surprise Sakurai-kun with her skills.
The five walked down the corridor.
Suddenly, Yotsuba's pocket vibrated. She pulled out her phone and saw the caller ID: a member of the Girls' Basketball Club.
Her smile faltered.
Sakurai-kun's words from yesterday echoed in her mind:
"I need you, Yotsuba!… Don't you think it's cruel to assume I don't need you, and then abandon me?"
The basketball club needed her. But Sakurai-kun needed her, too.
Her heart wavered.
What should I do?
She couldn't stand him up. But ignoring the call didn't feel right either.
After a long pause, Yotsuba finally answered.
"Hello Hinata-kun What's up?"
Her voice carried down the stairwell, catching the ears of her sisters.
The other four glanced at her at once. They all knew Yotsuba often rushed to help the club, but none of them said anything.
After all, it was her choice. Her way of living.
The members of the sports clubs all thought highly of Yotsuba.
She should have known this herself—after all, her emotional intelligence wasn't low. In fact, she was quite skilled at reading people. Yotsuba's weakness was academics, not social awareness. To have built such a reputation among different clubs, she couldn't possibly have been oblivious.
"Hmm. Sorry, I have something important to do today, so…"
Walking down the stairs, Yotsuba ended the call. She looked over at her sisters and found them staring at her in surprise.
"Yotsuba, you refused?" Nino asked, shocked.
She knew her sister too well. Yotsuba was the type who found it almost impossible to turn people down. If a close friend asked her for help, she almost always said yes.
"No, not really!" Yotsuba waved her hands, flustered. "I just pushed it to tomorrow."
Her expression was sheepish. She had wanted to refuse outright, but in the end, she couldn't summon the courage. Postponing it for a day was the best she could manage.
This way, she could help both the basketball club and Sakurai-kun.
Tutoring only lasted from Monday to Wednesday; there was none on Thursday. As long as she didn't abandon Sakurai-kun when he needed her, everything would be fine… right? As for others' requests, she still wasn't able to refuse them outright.
But wasn't this progress?
Sakurai-kun's words yesterday had shaken her. They had made an impact. But it would take time—maybe a long time—before Yotsuba could truly learn how to say "no." Or perhaps, Sakurai-kun simply didn't hold enough weight in her heart yet.
At the shoe lockers, Miku held her phone and typed quickly.
She looked at the reply that came back, then spoke softly:
"Saki-kun's in the library."
The moment the words left her lips, the other four sisters froze like scarecrows.
How does Miku have his LINE?
It was the same thought in all of their heads.
They knew she and Sakurai-kun had gotten along well last year, but exchanging LINE IDs wasn't something ordinary classmates of different genders just… did. It carried a special meaning.
If it had been Ichika—well, she was social enough. No one would have batted an eye. But Miku? The quiet, reclusive, stay-at-home type who avoided crowds? The fact that she had exchanged LINE accounts with a boy… was shocking.
"Miku, how do you have Teacher-chan's LINE?" Ichika finally blurted.
"Yeah, why?" Nino chimed in, unable to hold back.
The idea that Miku and Sakurai-kun might be secretly messaging each other made her stomach churn with unease.
"He gave it to me voluntarily," Miku said flatly, her expression unreadable.
Nino: "…"
Voluntarily?
Her stomach twisted.
He was always cold and dismissive toward her, but with Miku, he had been proactive!?
Itsuki, ever the peacemaker, tried to rationalize. "It's probably for teaching purposes, right?"
"Ah! That makes sense! For teaching!" Nino let out a sigh of relief.
But then—
"He gave it to me last year," Miku added casually.
Nino froze mid-step. Her hands stopped at her shoes, and she clutched her stomach.
"Nino, what's wrong? Are you still sick?" Yotsuba asked in concern.
"It's nothing…" Nino forced a smile. "Just a little stomachache."
And it wasn't entirely a lie. Her stomach did hurt. Some of it was from skipping meals last week… but the rest was definitely something else.
"Do you want something to eat?" Itsuki pulled a packet of crackers from her bag.
"Thanks…" Nino accepted them.
Her sisters' care warmed her—but she couldn't enjoy it.
Because now, Nino had feelings for Sakurai-kun. And she hadn't even taken a step forward with him yet.
But suddenly, Miku had revealed: I've been talking with him on LINE for a year already.
If it were anyone else, Nino might have been able to shrug it off. But it was her sister. Her rival was living under the same roof.
This wasn't just a head start—it was a false start! A whole year in advance!
'Ahhh, I regret it so much!'
Nino remembered her heated arguments with Sakurai-kun just last week.
If only she could go back in time, she'd punch herself for wasting those chances.
Meanwhile, inside the library's study room—
Sakurai-kun put his phone down and glanced at Ishigami Yuu, who was hunched over his notes, diligently reviewing material.
Strange. What could make the perpetually slacking Ishigami study so seriously?
Was it Shinomiya Kaguya's threat? Shirogane Miyuki's expectations? Or perhaps, had Ishigami finally decided he didn't want to keep sinking anymore?
The answer was probably what everyone hoped for.
For someone who had never been needed, never been expected to achieve anything, Ishigami Yuu didn't lack ability.
What he lacked—was confidence.
He wasn't incapable of working hard. He just hadn't had a reason to.
Good academic performance could build confidence.
That was why Shirogane Miyuki could sit proudly as Student Council President, bearing the golden emblem that symbolized two hundred years of Shuchiin Academy's prestige. His grades were his lifeline. As long as he remained the top student, he would never be crushed by the immense pressure on his shoulders.
This was the assurance that grades gave.
Even at Shuchiin, where lineage and wealth mattered, grades still carried weight. They were a currency of their own.
Miyuki, though a "mixed-course" student, still earned the respect of the "pure-course" elites—solely by standing at the very top. Of course, having Shinomiya Kaguya beside him certainly played an even bigger role… but his academic dominance gave him the dignity to hold his ground.
Sakurai-kun glanced at Ishigami Yuu several times before pulling his gaze away.
Today's subject with the Nakano quintuplets was English.
Speaking of which, the island nation's English was… bizarre. Sakurai could never get used to it. They loved to bend foreign words into katakana, with pronunciation that felt almost insulting.
"Dragon" became Doragon.
"Strawberry"? Replaced entirely with ichigo.
To Sakurai, it was strange—perfunctory, even. But this was how everyone here read it. Eventually, after saying it enough times, he too got used to their version.
He flipped through the test papers he'd brought. Just then, the Nakano sisters approached the study table, Ishigami sitting quietly by his side.
At the front was Nino.
The moment Sakurai's eyes landed on her, his expression soured. A flicker of disdain crossed his face.
He really didn't want to see her. If the tutoring job hadn't included her, he would have gladly avoided Nino altogether.
Nino, noticing the cold look, flinched. A nervous knot tightened in her stomach.
And then—
He smiled.
Nino froze.
Her mind jumped back to the words she had thrown at him when leaving his house. He still remembered? Was this smile meant for her?
It didn't make sense.
Her thoughts tangled together in a chaotic mess. Until—
"Let's get ready for today's study," Sakurai's voice cut through.
Nino blinked. She looked again.
The smile wasn't directed at her.
"…Mm." Miku, unfazed, walked right past Nino and took her seat at the table.
'So he wasn't smiling at me…'
A wave of disappointment hit Nino. But just as quickly, relief followed.
If he didn't remember her humiliating blunder after "losing her presence," then maybe—just maybe—there was still a chance to reconcile with him.
Nino trailed after her sisters, only then noticing another figure among them: a gloomy boy sitting silently with Sakurai.
She didn't recognize him, nor did she know his relationship with Sakurai. So she kept quiet.
Her timidity was uncharacteristic. But this time, she couldn't risk messing things up.
Sakurai, meanwhile, paid her no particular attention.
If her attitude returned to what it was last week, he wouldn't hold back. He wasn't a masochist who enjoyed being contradicted. If necessary, he would scold her without hesitation.
After all, even if it were someone like Shirogane Miyuki, he might not say it out loud—but deep down, he'd think she was troublesome too.
Sakurai distributed the study materials. He said nothing during the process.
"Sakurai-senpai's throat isn't too good today," Ishigami explained quietly as he scribbled notes.
"I can still talk," Sakurai replied.
In truth, he had already figured out the side effect of his ability. His weak charm only seemed to work once on each person. The first time was overwhelming; after that, the effect faded to almost nothing. At most, it just made his voice sound slightly more pleasant.
Even so—
When he spoke, the Nakano sisters (minus Miku) instantly lowered their heads, their eyes sparkling with little hearts, their breaths turning faintly uneven.
For a fleeting moment, they all thought—Sakurai-kun looks several times more handsome than usual!
If the setting hadn't been the library, some of them might have leapt up and hugged him on the spot.
Miku, however, remained perfectly calm. To her, his voice simply sounded nicer than before—pleasant, but nothing more.
A few minutes later, Sakurai spoke again. This time, the reactions were smaller, weaker. By the third time, they had nearly disappeared altogether.
Satisfied, Sakurai began normal teaching.
An hour later, the test questions were finished. Sakurai gathered up their answer sheets and scanned through the results.
His brow twitched.
"I really wish you all were a bit smarter."
Silence.
"…Not too much. Just a little smarter in English."
Again, silence.
Sakurai blinked. Doubt crept into his mind.
What the hell? Even when I narrowed it down, nothing happened?
He scowled inwardly.
What kind of trash superpower is this!? Can't even do something this small? What's the point of having you!?
Patreon Rene_chan