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Maybe it was the combination of her elegant demeanor and that striking mixed-race charm, but Eriri Spencer Sawamura's self-introduction instantly captivated the class. The applause she received was several decibels louder than anyone before her. Even after she returned to her seat, her presence lingered like a dazzling afterimage in everyone's minds.
Because of that, the students who followed her ended up sounding a bit... plain. Their introductions couldn't help but feel overshadowed.
And then— It was finally Kasumigaoka Touji's turn.
He calmly walked up to the podium, posture upright, face composed, and greeted everyone with a smile that struck a balance between politeness and aloof charm.
"Hello everyone, I'm Kasumigaoka Touji from Wako City, Saitama Prefecture. My hobby is reading novels. Please take care of me this year."
Short, crisp, and flawless. No more, no less.
But thanks to that public display of affection from Utaha-senpai that very morning, Touji had already attracted plenty of attention. The moment he stepped off the podium, whispers spread across the classroom like wildfire.
"Wait... did he say Kasumigaoka?" "Is he related to that second-year senpai, Kasumigaoka Utaha?" "Don't tell me they're siblings...?" "No way—! Siblings don't kiss each other goodbye like that!" "Right?! That was totally a lovers' goodbye!"
Touji could hear every word.
So, instead of letting the rumors spiral, he turned halfway and dropped a bombshell with an indifferent tone:
"I'm the adopted son-in-law of the Kasumigaoka."
The effect was immediate.
"HUH!?" "Adopted son-in-law!?" "Are you serious!? Is this some ojou-sama household!?" "That's so unfair... I wanna be an adopted son-in-law too!!" "You lucky bastard!!"
A riot of envy erupted among the boys in class. They looked at Touji like he had achieved the ultimate cheat in real life.
Kojima Kana-sensei blinked in mild disbelief, then turned her gaze to the next student on the list—Gotou Hitori.
...Poor Gotou Hitori.
Despite all the mental rehearsals she'd done in her head, the moment she stood up, all courage vanished. Under the pressure of everyone's lingering curiosity over Touji, she instantly stiffened like a malfunctioning robot.
Her legs moved mechanically toward the podium. She stopped awkwardly, stared at the floor, and barely managed a whisper:
"U-Um... I-I'm Gotou Hitori..."
Her voice was so soft, it could've been mistaken for a breeze.
And just like that, she shuffled back to her seat, still looking like she was about to collapse.
Touji sighed quietly. That was a boss-level social anxiety debuff if he'd ever seen one.
Kojima-sensei clapped her hands to regain order. "Alright, next we'll decide class officers. If you're interested in a position, write your name on the board. If there's more than one candidate, we'll do a vote."
With that, the election began.
Class rep, cultural committee, sports committee... competition was especially fierce for the class president role.
Touji fulfilled his promise and cast a vote for Yamanoto Kuma-ji.
Unfortunately, Kuma-ji lost by a few votes to a composed and capable-looking girl named Asakawa Saori.
Sigh... So much for that campaign.
After that, it was straight into first period: Japanese class. An hour and a half later, the long-awaited lunch break arrived.
Students scrambled—some rushed to the cafeteria, others dashed to the nearby convenience store, while the rest stayed behind to eat homemade bentos with their new friends.
Touji took out his phone and texted:
[Touji.]: "Where is your classroom?"
A few seconds later, a reply came.
[Kasumi Utako]: "Third floor, second room to the left from the stairs."
[Touji.]: "Okay."
Grabbing his lunch, he left the classroom and made his way upstairs, pushing against the current of rushing students.
When Touji reached the third floor, Utaha was already waiting for him by the stairwell, her figure poised and graceful as always, holding her lunch with the elegance of a refined ojou-sama. The moment she saw him, she smiled faintly and walked over.
"Let's go heat up the bento first," Touji said, lifting the container in his hand.
"Mm. You really hate cold food that much, huh?" Utaha replied with a knowing smile, nodding as they headed toward the pantry at the far end of the corridor.
In typical Japanese schools, every floor came with a small pantry area—a sink, some basic cleaning supplies, and a single microwave. Enough to start a minor war during lunchtime if one wasn't early.
When they arrived, a short queue had already formed. Nothing too surprising. While traditional bento culture favored cold food, there were always exceptions like Touji—people who preferred their karaage hot and their rice steamy.
They waited quietly, ten minutes passing in comfortable silence, the kind of silence that wasn't awkward but companionable. After heating their lunches and grabbing drinks from the vending machine beside the pantry, Utaha gestured for him to follow her further up.
"Huh? Where are we going?" Touji asked as they climbed.
Utaha pulled a small silver key from her skirt pocket, turned, and winked. "To our secret lunch spot. The rooftop."
"You… have a key for that?" he blinked, a little surprised.
"I asked a teacher for it. Said I wanted a quiet place to eat." She looked smug for a moment. "It's one of the privileges of being top of the grade."
"Well, well, isn't nee-san amazing?" Touji clapped playfully. "All hail the honor student."
"You flatterer," Utaha chuckled, unlocking the rooftop door with a soft click.
Beyond the door, a bright blue sky stretched out endlessly above them. The rooftop was surprisingly tidy and serene. A one-meter-high safety wall lined with reinforced wire fencing ran along the perimeter, giving off a solid sense of security.
Directly across from the entrance, three large square parasols were lined up side-by-side. Beneath them sat wooden benches, weathered but well-maintained—like a hidden garden atop the school.
"How's this? Not bad, right?" Utaha asked, walking forward. Her long legs shimmered faintly in the sunlight, giving off a subtle glow like glossy chocolate.
"Mm, definitely not bad," Touji replied, sweeping his gaze across the open space. "Private sky, private benches, private view… feels luxurious."
He set down his bento box and drink, then glanced at her. "But weren't you lonely, eating up here all by yourself before?"
"Not really," Utaha said proudly, as if she had just been asked if water was wet.
She laid her drink down, then pulled a folded handkerchief from her blazer pocket and began wiping the middle bench with neat, practiced motions. Halfway through, she paused and glanced at him sideways.
"Shouldn't my dear otouto be doing this part? Where's your gentleman spirit?"
"Oi, I was just about to help!" Touji protested, laughing. "You beat me to it."
"Hmph. Excuses already? Minus one point." She handed him the handkerchief with a smug look.
Touji accepted it and dutifully resumed wiping down the bench.
"You're so strict today," he muttered with mock dejection.
As the breeze ruffled her long black hair, Utaha raised a slender finger. "Now I'm curious. What's my current score in your heart?"
Touji paused dramatically. "Hmm… 59 points."
"Out of 60?" she asked, lifting a brow.
"Nope. Out of 100."
"That's cruel!" Utaha said with a scowl. "How did I drop that low!?"
"Docked 40 points for letting your poor little brother do the dishes."
Utaha held up four fingers. "Then that means I get all 40 points back now, right?"
"You wish!" Touji teased. "Are you trying to avoid getting a perfect score because you're afraid of becoming arrogant?"
"Exactly," she said matter-of-factly. "Got to stay humble."
"Tsk, Utaha-chan is way too heartless~!"
They laughed as the rooftop breeze carried away the faint scent of warm rice and sunlight.