“So, Yukari—what did you think?”

The low whisper at her ear made Shinonome Yukari shiver. It was Houjou Noa’s voice.

“…I-I don’t think he seems like a bad person,” she replied, her voice trembling slightly.

It was lunchtime in their dorm room. Yukari sat on the bed, wrapped from behind in the embrace of her lover, Noa, who hadn’t even touched her lunch.

“That’s all?”

“I-I don’t know him well enough yet.”

“I suppose so. But if we wait too long to act, we’ll fall behind, won’t we?”

“B-but! It’s better to watch and wait first—that’s the standard approach…”

Saying that, Yukari relaxed against her beloved, letting her body sink into Noa’s arms.

“What about his supposed gynophobia? How credible is that?”

“So far, I haven’t seen any signs of it.”

“Hm. A false diagnosis, maybe? Do you think someone’s already claimed him?”

“If that’s the case, it’s strange—he’s getting along quite well with the girls in his class.”

“I see… if it were a cover-up orchestrated by whoever’s protecting him, that would be a curious way to handle it.”

Yukari exhaled softly and turned her head to look back at Noa.

Tall for a woman, with refined features that gave her a princely air—if not for her full chest, many might have mistaken her for a handsome young man.

“What about Isshiki Shizuku?”

“For some reason… she’s completely absorbed in him. She didn’t just use her class selection right—she even took the class representative position. It’s as if she has no interest in any other boy.”

“Hmm. Maybe she decided the rest weren’t worth her time.”

“Even so, she’s acting far too soon. Normally, one would still be in the observation stage.”

The daughters of the Shinonome family had attended Shirayuki Academy for generations.

Her grandmother, mother, and sisters had all been students there. Yukari took pride in knowing how things were supposed to work at this school.

Most boys disliked girls who had already been paired. Because of that, girls assigned to lower classes usually kept their distance during their first year, when there was still a chance to move up to a higher class.

There was, of course, a counter-strategy—to pursue a pairing early while competition was still low. But boys in lower classes often carried serious flaws, and such a move could easily trap a girl in a dead end.

More importantly, Isshiki Shizuku was a member of Class A. She had no reason to take such a risky approach in the first place.

“Anything else that stood out?”

“…There’s a tall girl named Kaminari Nene—about one-eighty centimeters, I’d say. He called her cool, like a model.”

“Oh?”

A note of amusement entered Noa’s voice.

“Do you think he’d call me cool, too?”

“No one could ever be cooler than you, Noa-sama.”

Yukari stilled, gazing up at Noa.

She had hoped for a kiss, but Noa seemed lost in thought, her mind elsewhere.

(Noa-sama…)

Jealousy flickered faintly in Yukari’s chest.

Her lover, Houjou Noa, had always been admired for her princely grace. Even back in middle school, there had been rumors of romance surrounding her. Despite her popularity among girls, the faint melancholy she sometimes showed only made her seem more distant—an untouchable figure who captured the hearts of younger students in particular.

To Yukari, she was someone to be proud of.

“Do you think there’s anyone who might become a threat?”

“Other than Isshiki Shizuku, no one’s made any major moves yet.”

“Do you think he prefers girls with long hair?”

“I’m not sure yet…”

“In any case, I’d like to talk to him at least once. It’s important that he remembers my face.”

“…”

Yukari’s silence made Noa chuckle playfully.

“Oh? Are you jealous?”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself. You haven’t even met him yet. What part of him interests you so much?”

“I think he’s like me,” Noa said simply, without a moment’s hesitation.

“Like you?”

“Yes. And I’m sure that’s why Isshiki Shizuku was drawn to him as well.”

Yukari tilted her head, but Noa didn’t elaborate.

Her eyes, tinged with quiet sadness, stared off into nothing, lost in thought.

And that look—more than anything—irritated Yukari.

“Noa-sama…”

Turning in her arms, Yukari pressed her face against Noa’s chest.

Noa’s hand gently stroked her hair.

“We’ll have him take you as a bride too, Yukari.”

“…I don’t need anyone else, as long as I have you.”

“You know it can’t work that way.”

Noa smiled wryly, and Yukari closed her eyes, unable to voice any further protest.

◇◆◇

When Shinonome Yukari returned to the classroom, she found a crowd gathered around Mizuki’s desk.

Most of the girls had already finished lunch and were chatting animatedly.

“My family owns a hot spring inn in Izu. If you ever need to relax, please come visit.”

“It’s going to start getting hot soon, isn’t it? If you’d prefer a cooler climate, the Aihara family would be honored to welcome you to Hokkaido!”

“If you ever go to Hakone, we have a villa there—it’s very comfortable, with both hot springs and great fishing spots.”

Each girl seemed eager to flaunt the prestige of her household.

Yukari slipped naturally into the circle.

“I see. Then the lodging trip will be something to look forward to,” Mizuki said with a gentle laugh.

Even surrounded by so many girls, he kept smiling calmly, answering each one with warmth.

Seeing that, Yukari began to suspect that his supposed gynophobia might have been fabricated after all.

There was precedent: in Kyoto, noble families had occasionally falsified such diagnoses to keep favored men under their protection. It was a method rarely seen since the rise of the Shikoku Eighteen Houses, but not impossible.

“Um, Mizuki-kun—may I call you by your name?”

The sudden question came from Aihara Yura, and Yukari stiffened in surprise.

Wasn’t that far too forward, especially with someone supposedly afraid of women?

Yet Mizuki didn’t seem bothered in the least.

“Sure, call me whatever you like. Once I get used to things, I’ll start calling you by name too.”

Excited squeals spread through the room.

Yukari could only look around in bewilderment.

Apparently, he had grown far more comfortable with the class during her time away with Noa.

(This is nothing like what I heard…)

The usual rule for lower classes was to observe and wait—but now every girl in Class K was acting strangely forward.

At this rate, Toudou Mizuki would be surrounded and claimed before the year even ended.

Maybe Noa had been right to want to meet him quickly.

“Mizuki-sama, do you have any plans after school?”

“Hmm… I was thinking of checking potential service placements today.”

The room froze.

It was a topic no one had dared to bring up until now.

The easy, friendly air vanished in an instant.

“…You already have somewhere in mind?”

“I haven’t decided on the schedule yet, but I’ll probably start next week—and I plan to do as much as I can.”

Shizuku asked hesitantly, and Mizuki answered with his usual calm smile.

Yukari’s confusion deepened.

(What is this? He’s acting like—)

Like a Class A boy.

All the reasons Toudou Mizuki had been placed in Class K seemed to vanish as if they’d never existed.

At this rate, the class hierarchy itself would stop functioning.

If Mizuki began building a strong service record, girls from the lower classes would soon rush to join Class K.

“M-maybe you don’t need to rush so much,” Yukari blurted.

“Y-yes, maybe we should have a class get-together first!”

“Yeah! I’d love to hear more about you, Mizuki-kun!”

Apparently, the others had the same thought—they were all trying to slow him down.

Mizuki just laughed. “I’ve got three years to make up for, after all.”

His easy smile left Yukari certain of one thing.

If Houjou Noa met him in person, she would be drawn to him even more.

That was a future that already felt inevitable—and there was nothing Yukari could do to stop it.

So all she could do was whisper silently in her heart.

—When that time comes, will you still keep me by your side?