The hallways of Sainan High School were a chaotic symphony of preparation. It was the day before the Sainan Festival, and the usual academic lethargy had been replaced by a frantic, buzzing energy. Students rushed past carrying towering stacks of cardboard boxes, buckets of paint, and bundles of crepe paper. The air smelled of adhesive, sawdust, and the nervous sweat of teenagers trying to finish a month's worth of work in six hours.
In the relatively quiet sanctuary of the central courtyard, away from the screaming class representatives and the hammering of the carpentry club, a different kind of meeting was taking place.
Tenjouin Saki stood with her back to the ornate school fountain, the water cascading behind her in a shimmering curtain. She wore her uniform not as a requirement, but as a royal vestment, her blazer tailored perfectly to her waist, her posture impeccable, her chin raised at an angle that demanded respect. She was the self-proclaimed Queen of Sainan High, the daughter of the wealthy Tenjouin family, and currently, she was not happy.
Her loyal attendants, Kujou Rin and Fujisaki Aya, stood before her at attention. Rin held a tablet computer, her fingers flying across the screen as she collated data from the school's underground gossip network. Aya held a folding fan, ready to deploy it at a moment's notice should Saki require a dramatic effect.
"Report," Saki commanded, flipping her long, drill-curled hair over her shoulder. "The atmosphere in the school has shifted more than ever. The students are distracted, though outwardly it's for the festival, it isn't actually just that."
"I have confirmed it, Saki-sama." Rin said with a serious expression. "The rumours about Yuuki Rito have... escalated. Since the broadcast incident involving the idol Run-chan, his social standing has skyrocketed. With each passing day he is climbing the ladder, and his rise has increased even more in this festival environment. The student body is no longer calling him 'The Clumsy Guy'. Almost the entirety of them is calling him the 'Harem King'".
Saki's eye twitched. "Harem King? That commoner?"
"It appears to be such." Aya added softly, scrolling through a forum thread titled 'Yuuki Rito's Conquest List: Who's Next?' "We know he is officially engaged to Princess Lala. And since Run Elsie Jewelria's debut concert, it is public knowledge that he is in a romantic relationship with Run-chan as well. They are the two most popular girls in the school, perhaps even the prefecture, with Lala having the upper hand."
"And there are also unconfirmed sightings." Rin continued, her voice dropping. "Witnesses claim to have seen him walking home with the Library Committee Head, Sairenji Haruna-san, looking very... intimate."
Saki clenched her fists at her sides. Even the sound of the fountain sounded like mocking her.
It wasn't about Rito. To Saki, boys were generally beneath her notice, simple, easily manipulated creatures who existed to carry bags and offer compliments.
She also didn't care much about Run; she was an entertainer by profession. Saki wasn't foolish enough to affected by the popularity of fans have for their idols, after all, they are performers. It was beneath her to compete with them. But Lala... Lala was a threat.
Lala Satalin Deviluke was the only girl in school who rivalled Saki's beauty, popularity, and sheer, overwhelming presence. The main thing was, Lala even didn't try to be famous or anything; she simply was, effortlessly drawing attention with her alien inventions, her cheerful demeanor, and her bubbly charisma.
"It is unacceptable." Saki hissed, her voice low and jealous. "I am the Queen of this school. I am the one who should be the center of attention! I should be the one with the most enviable position! Lala not only is famous herself, but she also controls the most talked-about boy in school, she is getting the advantage by default!"
"But Saki-sama," Rin hesitated, looking at the data in her tablet. "Yuuki Rito is... well, he's different now. He apparently stopped an alien invasion. He's even rumoured to be personal friends with the author of Dragon Ball Z, the most famous work in the anime and manga industry currently. He has a certain... gravity."
"Gravity?" Saki scoffed. "He is a pebble! A lucky pebble that rolled into a diamond mine!"
"But if I leave him alone, Lala will win." Saki muttered to herself. "If I let him continue this... this harem of his, I will become a footnote. A background character in the story."
She suddenly stopped and turned to her friends, a fire igniting in her eyes.
"Then I will take him." Saki declared.
Aya blinked, nearly dropping her fan. "Take him? You mean... kidnap Yuuki-kun?"
"Steal him from Lala," Saki corrected, a dangerous, predatory glint in her eyes. "If I conquer Yuuki Rito, I will be defeating Lala by default. I will be proving that my charm, my elegance, my adult appeal is superior to her childish alien tricks. I will show the school who the real Queen is."
She struck a pose, pointing a finger at the main school building where Class 2-A was located.
"Prepare the plan! I will seduce Yuuki Rito. I will wrap him around my finger until he forgets he ever met that pink-haired princess. I will make him mine, and then... then I will be the one laughing!"
"Ho-ho-ho-ho!" Saki laughed, her signature high-pitched, noblewoman's laugh echoing across the courtyard, startling a group of first-years nearby.
Rin and Aya exchanged a worried look. They knew this pattern well. Whenever Saki decided to compete with Lala, it usually ended in explosions, slime, or public humiliation. But they also knew there was no stopping her when her pride was on the line.
"As you wish, Saki-sama." Rin sighed. "We will commence Operation: Queen Bee immediately."
…
Class 2-A had been transformed into a jungle.
Or at least, that was the intention. Currently, it looked more like a recycling center had exploded inside a forest. Green crepe paper hung in chaotic streamers from the ceiling lights. Cardboard cutouts of animals, some recognizable, some clearly drawn by students who had never seen a giraffe, leaned against the desks.
Most of the students had left for lunch or club activities, taking advantage of the "prep time" to slack off. The room was quiet, save for the rustling of paper and the soft murmur of voices near the back wall.
Yuuki Rito stood on a stepladder, holding a staple gun. He was pinning the corner of a massive "Welcome to the Animal Café" banner to the wall. He was wearing his standard school uniform, but he had discarded his blazer hours ago. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his sleeves were rolled up past his elbows, revealing forearms that were surprisingly defined for a high schooler, corded with the muscle he had built during his secret training and further enhanced by the power of darkness.
Below him, holding the other end of the banner steady, was Sairenji Haruna.
"A little to the left, Rito-kun." Haruna directed softly, squinting up at the banner. "The 'Animal' part is drooping."
"Here?" Rito adjusted the fabric, his arm flexing as he stretched.
"Yes, perfect."
Ka-chunk.
Rito stapled the banner in place. He tested it with a tug, satisfied it wouldn't fall on a customer's head.
"Okay, that's the last one," Rito said, wiping dust from his hands. He hopped down from the ladder, landing with a light, athletic grace that made Haruna blink, and turned to her.
Haruna was standing by her desk, organizing a pile of fake ivy vines. She looked tired but happy, a smudge of green marker on her cheek.
"Thanks for helping, Haruna." Rito said, his voice warm. "Everyone else bailed as soon as Saruyama mentioned 'heavy lifting'."
"I don't mind," Haruna smiled, a genuine, radiant expression that lit up the dim classroom. "It's nice and quiet."
She walked over to her school bag, which was sitting on a nearby chair. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers playing with the zipper.
"Actually..." she started, a blush creeping up her neck. "I brought it today, the costume."
Rito raised an eyebrow. "The maid outfit? You already finished making it?"
"Y-Yeah. I finished sewing the apron last night," Haruna admitted. She pulled a bundle of black and white fabric out of the bag. "It's... a little embarrassing. I have to wear this tomorrow for the café shift."
She held it up against her body. It was a classic French maid costume but modified for the school festival. The skirt was short, dangerously short, and the apron was tight, designed to cinch at the waist. A pair of fluffy cat ears sat on top of the pile.
"I tried it on at home." Haruna whispered, looking down at the frills. " Even though I will be wearing stockings, it still feels... really exposed."
Rito looked at her and then looked at the costume. He didn't need any "future knowledge" to tell him of how good she would look in it. Though, the reality of seeing her holding it, flushing with shy anticipation, was quite stimulating.
His body reacted instantly. A flush of heat rose in his chest, his pulse quickening. He wasn't just seeing a classmate; he was seeing one of his wives. One of the girls who bore his Seal.
He stepped closer, closing the distance between them until he was standing in her personal space.
"You'll look amazing," Rito said, his voice dropping to a lower, more intimate register that he only used when they were alone.
He reached out, not to grab the costume, but rather to touch her cheek, his thumb gently brushing away the smudge of green marker. His hand lingered, cupping her face.
"You'll be the cutest one there, Haruna. I won't be able to take my eyes off you."
Haruna's breath hitched, but she didn't pull away. She leaned into his hand, her eyes fluttering shut, surrendering to his touch. The air between them thickened, charged with the familiarity of their shared nights and the secret weight of their bond.
"Rito-kun..." she whispered, her hand coming up to cover his on her cheek. "If... if I wear it... will you stay with me during my shift?"
"Try and stop me." Rito promised.
Meanwhile, from the hallway door, peering through the small rectangular window, Tenjouin Saki watched this scene and her jaw dropped.
She had arrived expecting to find Rito struggling with tape, or maybe Haruna and him having some trouble with the work. She had expected an opening to swoop in with her "adult charm" and dazzle the boy, but she was not expecting this.
'They're... they're so close!' Saki thought looking at the scandalous scene. Her eyes widened as she took it in. 'Look at them! He's not just talking to her. He's touching her face so intimately! He's looking at her like... like only she exists in his eyes!'
She watched as Haruna, the prudish Class Representative who usually enforced the rules with a sweet and serious attitude, melted into his touch. She saw the way Haruna's body leaned toward him, the way her lips parted slightly, the way her eyes went soft and hazy. She looked like a woman in love, like she wanted him to kiss her right there in the classroom.
And Rito...
Despite the rumours of harem, Saki had always pictured Yuuki Rito as a bumbling, harmless herbivore. But the boy in the classroom didn't look harmless. He looked confident and steady. The way he stood, the way he held Haruna... it radiated a quiet, masculine assurance that Saki had never associated with him before.
'I underestimated him,' Saki realized, a thrill of genuine challenge shooting through her spine. She stepped back from the window, her heart beating a little faster. 'He's not an ordinary boy. He's experienced and knows exactly how to handle a woman.'
She gripped the doorframe, her nails digging into the wood.
'Lala wasn't just lucky to find a famous boy. And Haruna didn't just fall for a nice guy. He did something to them, he captured them.'
A slow, determined smirk curled her lips. This wasn't going to be a simple seduction. This was going to be a war. And Tenjouin Saki had never lost a war.
"Fine, Yuuki Rito," Saki whispered to the empty hallway. "You want to be a womanizer? You think you are one just by handling these girls? Let's see if you can handle a real woman."
She turned to Rin and Aya, who were waiting nervously by the stairs.
"Change of plans," Saki announced, her voice dripping with resolve. "Simple flirting won't work. We need to go bigger. We need... to go for the maximum impact."
*****
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