Chapter 33: Transfer Student
The day after Fuyunagi-san’s mother invaded… I woke up in bed, kicking off the blanket with my feet and scratching my messy, bedhead hair.
“Morning…”
I naturally wake up.
It has recently become cooler, and the sweltering heat of high summer has lessened somewhat, but it is still hot when it’s hot.
Because I woke up earlier than usual, I took a quick shower and ate the breakfast Mother had made.
Then, Mother casually spoke to me.
“Anyway, make sure you treat Shizuku-chan properly, alright~?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t give me that ‘huh?’! A girl that beautiful and refined isn’t someone you’ll ever come across again in your life, so I’m telling you to treat her carefully!!”
“That’s right! If I were younger, I’d never let a beauty like her slip away!”
“Hah!? What is that supposed to mean!?”
“Huh? Kimie!? No, no, that’s not what I meant! It’s just a figure of speech!”
My parents are noisy from the morning.
The nostalgic mood that can only be obtained in this short morning moment is completely ruined.
Well, after this, I have to face going to school, so there’s no atmosphere worth mentioning anyway….
Of course, my parents know Fuyunagi-san.
That’s obvious, considering how often she visits our home.
I already finished meeting my parents a long time ago.
They met her a long time ago.
And with how good she is at putting on a front, Fuyunagi-san piles on layer after layer of her “good girl” act whenever she’s in front of my parents.
Thanks to that, my parents’ evaluation of Fuyunagi-san is extremely high.
In front of my parents, Fuyunagi-san says incredibly blunt things—like she’s operating on the premise of marriage or seriously looking toward our future—so my parents have started thinking along those lines too.
But… marriage, huh.
Just hearing about an arranged marriage yesterday has my mind running wild with all sorts of realistic scenarios.
When your girlfriend is beautiful on an interdimensional level, even an unrealistic life becomes reality, huh?
“Good morning. It’s such a refreshing morning, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
As I was thinking such things, I met up with Fuyunagi-san at our usual meeting place and headed to school.
“Oh right, I want to make sweets or dishes that will truly impress you, you know? So next time, I’ll have to ask your mother to teach me your preferences.”
“Eh…? You don’t have to try that hard…”
“Hah? I find it unpleasant when you try to come up with some lame excuse out of consideration. The fastest way to win over your stomach is to make something that genuinely tastes good to you.”
“No, it already tastes good normally…”
“I hate that ‘normal.’ I need to get you to say something better—something more thoughtful—of your own accord.”
“Ah, the ultimate privilege of being your boyfriend.”
We head to school while exchanging such idle chatter.
On the way, I feel gazes from many students.
Why would someone like me, a mob character, be with the unattainable flower that is Fuyunagi-san…!!
Such jealousy is visible.
I used to be scared at first, but now I’m used to it and only feel something like “Oh, they’re glaring at me again.”
Humans are strange; no matter how much dislike you have for something, you will eventually adapt and get used to it.
The adaptability of humans is truly amazing.
When I walked into the classroom and set my bag down at my seat, taking a moment to settle in, Katou came over with Natsume-san beside him.
Before I knew it, those two had gotten pretty close.
“Hey, you hear about it?”
“Hear about what?”
“Apparently, there’s a transfer student coming today!”
“A transfer student…? What’s your source?”
“Me. I heard it from our new homeroom teacher, Mukai-sensei.”
“Ah… I see.”
Natsume-san is the class president, so it’s not surprising she’d hear about the transfer student from the teacher.
But a transfer student at such an awkward time of year…?
“Apparently it’s a guy! Total disappointment, huh?”
“You’re disappointed? How can you say that in front of Natsume-san…”
“Hm? Why not? Wouldn’t it be convenient for you two if you had another male friend around?”
“Huh?”
“Haha… it’s fine, don’t worry about it! As you can see, I’m not even viewed as a guy… orz.”
(TN: It’s a Japanese emoticon representing a person kneeling or prostrating themself in despair/defeat.)
“Oof… tough luck, cheer up!”
For Natsume-san, Katou is still just a friend she got close to because they bonded over time-saving tricks. It hasn’t developed into anything like romantic feelings.
It seems they’re still far from a romantic relationship…
Hang in there, Katou…!
Don’t give up, Katou!!
“You two are close as always. Katou-kun?”
“Yes! What is it, Fuyunagi-san?”
“I want Taku-chan to treat me casually, the way he treats you — calling me without honorifics, speaking informally, handling me lightly and carelessly. How do I make that happen?”
“…Huh?”
“Being treated carefully is nice and all, but I’m getting tired of being princessed around. Personally, I’d prefer if Taku-chan treated me more like… a pebble on the roadside he casually kicks away. How do you think I can make him do that?”
“Eh…”
Katou was giving her a “What the hell is this girl saying?” kind of look, completely taken aback.
And it’s no wonder.
Up until just a little while ago, everyone saw her as a pure, elegant beauty — an unattainable flower everyone admired. But day by day, the fact that she’s actually a menhera pervert keeps coming to light, and that gap must be impossible to process.
“Um… I don’t really get what you mean, but… let’s see… how about acting like an annoying clingy character?”
“An annoying clingy character?”
“Yeah, yeah… like, getting all over him in a way that’s totally unnecessary and exhausting?”
“Hey! Katou—don’t give her weird ideas! She’s already a handful, she doesn’t need to get more troublesome!”
“Oh! I see… that’s helpful advice, Katou-kun!!”
While we were talking about such ridiculous things…
“Alright, everyone, take your seats… we’re starting morning homeroom…”
Our new homeroom teacher, a frail, elderly person, shuffled into the classroom.
Everyone started moving toward their own seats with a look that said, ‘Oh, it’s that time.’
Once most of the students had sat down, morning homeroom began.
And then the old teacher spoke.
“Um—well then, today I’d like to introduce a new classmate to you all… Kuzuryuu-kun, please come in.”
“Yes.”
Following the teacher’s call, one male student entered.
“Hello everyone, nice to meet you! As the teacher said… I’m Kuzuryuu Souma. Hope we get along!”
The person who came into the classroom was a tall, slender young man.
Although I described his build as slender, his muscular physique was discernible even through his uniform, with not a trace of unnecessary fat on him.
In addition, he had a gentle yet refreshing and handsome face…in other words, he was an ikemen, and in terms of handsomeness, he could rival Sado.
The girls start screaming and cheering.
Natsume-san’s words were true.
And then he continued to say…
“And I’m also engaged to Fuyunagi Shizuku-san! I transferred here so I could be with her! I would be delighted if all of you could support our future together!”
And then he blurted out such a ridiculous thing.
Character Summary (non-official)
- Majima Takuma / Taku (真島 拓真 / タク) — Taku is an utterly average high school boy in both appearance and ability. His hair and uniform are always neat but unremarkable, giving him the classic “background character” characteristic.
- Fuyunagi Shizuku (冬柳 雫) — Fuyunagi Shizuku is a stunning black-haired high school beauty with a mature, graceful aura. Her long, silky hair, elegant posture, pure and innocent atmosphere, and impressive figure—including her large chest—give her an appearance so gentle and comforting that a tired working adult might instinctively want to cling to her and call her “Mama.” Her looks alone make her feel like a UR-rarity heroine. At school, she’s admired as a pure, wholesome, and almost ideal girl—popular among girls, constantly confessed to by boys, and always at the center of her class. In private, however, Shizuku reveals a selfish, bratty, and emotionally unstable side. She’s clingy, easily upset, mentally fragile, and relies heavily on her boyfriend for emotional support while demanding secrecy and setting controlling conditions in their relationship.
- Sakurada Nagisa (桜田 凪咲) — Sakurada Nagisa is a gyaru and one of the central members of Fuyunagi-san’s friend group. With light-brown hair, piercings, and perfectly applied bold eye makeup, she has a flashy style but is undeniably beautiful—cute enough to stand out even among the popular girls. Sado Kengo’s current girlfriend.
- Natsume Kano (夏芽 華乃) — The class president. A dignified, serious beauty whose pure appearance gives her a charm distinct from Fuyunagi-san. She prioritizes efficiency, logic, and rationality above all else, resulting in a rigid, no-nonsense personality that makes her unpopular with most classmates.
Sado Kengo (佐渡 健吾) — A high-spec soccer club member who once acted as Shizuku’s fake public boyfriend. He is now Sakurada Nagisa’s actual boyfriend.
- Katou Susumu (加藤 進) — The textbook “protagonist’s best friend” character. He’s a founding member of the self-proclaimed “Unpopular Men’s Club”. Although he’s extremely jealous of Takuma for landing a girlfriend like Fuyunagi—thus “betraying” the Unpopular Men’s Club (a group Takuma never actually agreed to join)—Kato remains loyal to him despite both his jealousy and the negative public opinion surrounding Takuma.
Fuyunagi Reiko (冬柳 澪子) — Fuyunagi Shizuku’s mother. A stunningly beautiful woman whose refined looks make it obvious where Shizuku inherited her charm. Beneath that elegance, however, lies a strict and controlling parent with deeply traditional values. Reiko is determined to restore the Fuyunagi family’s former prestige, and she sees arranging Shizuku’s marriage as a necessary step toward reclaiming their past glory.
Fuyunagi Kanemasa (冬柳 兼政) — Fuyunagi Shizuku’s father. A highly capable and successful man who even took the Fuyunagi family name in order to marry Reiko. Despite the family’s rigid traditions, Kanemasa is the one person who genuinely supports Shizuku, encouraging her to live freely and choose her own path—including whom she loves. The only reason Shizuku’s mother and grandfather don’t openly oppose his stance is because his success and value to the family make him too important to antagonize.
- Kuzuryuu Souma (久豆流 創真) — Fuyunagi Shizuku’s arranged marriage partner.