Sunlight seeped through the thick curtains, stinging Kiyone’s eyes.
She pried her heavy eyelids open, her body aching with a lingering soreness.
Her mind was a hazy, intense reel of the night before—she could still feel Kamiki’s cold, possessive fingers tracing her skin as if they were still there.
Without a second thought, she bolted from the bed like a ghost.
She clutched the sheets to her chest, threw on a robe, and darted out of the room.
Her heart hammered against her ribs at the mere thought of that dark room and the “perverted” man she had left behind.
She rushed into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face.
Looking at her reflection, she saw the marks he had left on her neck and shoulders.
Her eyes drifted lower, to her chest.
The redness and bruises were like a dark testament to Kamiki’s “attentions” from the previous night.
“Why?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Why does he love this so much?” She gritted her teeth, a toxic cocktail of shame and fury churning within her.
*I surrendered to him,* she thought bitterly.
*I gave myself to him completely.* Meticulously hiding the “seals” on her neck with a thin, high-necked sweater, Kiyone squared her shoulders and opened the door.
She took one step out before stopping dead in her tracks, as if she had run into a wall.
Kamiki was standing right there, as if he had been waiting for her.
He stood with his arms crossed, that signature faint, knowing smile playing on his lips.
Kiyone tried to step back, but Kamiki was faster.
As she recalled the marks she was trying so desperately to hide, a deep flush crept up her cheeks.
Kamiki watched her bashful, furious expression with pure delight.
In one fluid motion, he reached out and gently cupped her cheeks.
Kiyone’s lips pursed involuntarily.
“You’re so cute, Kiyone-chan,” Kamiki said, his voice as sweet as honey but dripping with danger.
“Especially in the mornings, when you’re this flustered.” Kiyone grabbed his wrists, trying to pry his hands away.
“Let me go,” she said, her voice shaking.
“Wasn’t what you did last night enough?” Kamiki didn’t pull away; instead, he continued to stroke her cheeks with his fingertips.
“There is no such thing as ‘enough.’ I’m simply admiring how aesthetic the marks I’ve left on what’s mine look.” “I am not yours!” Kiyone protested.
Kamiki leaned in slowly, whispering close to her ear.
“Are you sure?
Then why haven’t you run away yet?” Kiyone had no answer.
Because Kamiki was right.
She loved this man, despite it all.
Kamiki moved his hands from her cheeks to her shoulders, giving her a gentle nudge toward the hallway.
“Come on, breakfast is waiting.” Kiyone felt the weight of his touch even as they walked down to eat.
The silence that followed the meal hung heavy in the room.
Just as Kiyone curled up in the corner of the sofa, letting her fatigue take over, a sharp knock at the door startled her.
She sat up, looking at Kamiki.
“It must be Yuki,” she whispered.
“Who else would be this insistent at this hour?” Kamiki set his book aside.
A mysterious sense of satisfaction—something Kiyone still couldn’t decipher—flickered across his face.
Matsuo stepped toward the door and swung the heavy panels open.
The figures who entered brought a burst of unexpected energy into the room.
In front was a beautiful young girl, and right behind her walked a calm, collected young man.
The moment Kamiki’s eyes landed on the girl, they seemed to light up.
That rare, arrogant, and possessive smile appeared on his lips.
*Puppy-chan,* Kamiki thought.
He stood up, his eyes locked onto the visitors.
“Matsuo,” Kamiki said, his voice echoing in the spacious room.
“Who are they?” Matsuo bowed respectfully.
“Sir, this is my son, Eichiiro Matsuo, and his friend, Tsubasa Nanase.” Kamiki smiled faintly.
*Called it,* he thought, his excitement evident.
He focused on Tsubasa.
The girl’s innocent, hesitant, yet curious gaze was exactly what he had been looking for.
*This girl is truly a puppy-chan,* he mused.
Kamiki stepped forward with enthusiasm, reaching out a hand toward Tsubasa.
“Welcome!” he said, his tone warm and cheerful.
Tsubasa flinched.
“Hello,” she said shyly.
Kamiki stepped even closer.
“I’m Kamiki.
It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Eichiiro stepped forward slightly.
“I’m Eichiiro.” Kamiki nodded.
“Nice to meet you, Eichiiro.” He gestured toward the large sofas.
“Please, have a seat.” Tsubasa and Eichiiro sat down tentatively.
“Thank you,” Tsubasa said with a small smile.
“You’re very kind.” Kamiki gestured gracefully toward Kiyone.
“This is my friend, Ayanokoji Kiyone.” Kiyone was cold.
“Hello,” she said flatly, her gaze distant.
Tsubasa smiled again.
“Hello.
It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her hands were trembling; the sheer opulence of the house had overwhelmed her.
She looked around nervously.
“Are you sure it’s alright for us to be here?” Kamiki interrupted immediately, his voice softening.
“It’s no trouble at all.
In fact, I’m delighted.” Kiyone grumbled to herself.
*That pervert…* she thought, furrowing her brow.
*He seems to have taken a liking to this girl.* Tsubasa took a deep breath.
“I’m still worried about being a bother.” Kamiki took a step toward her, his gaze unwavering.
“You could never be a bother to me.” Eichiiro glanced at his father before turning back to Kamiki.
“My father wanted us to meet you,” he said.
Kamiki smiled, cutting in.
“Actually, no.
I was the one who asked for it.” Nanase blinked in surprise, and Eichiiro raised an eyebrow.
“You did?” “Yes,” Kamiki said, picking up his teacup.
“When I learned you were Matsuo’s son, I was quite curious.” He leaned back comfortably.
“And I heard our ages were close, so I thought, why not?
We could be friends.
Don’t be so tense.” Eichiiro paused.
“You…
you want to be friends with us?” Kamiki laughed.
“Why not?
Eichiiro, you seem like a sharp guy.” He turned to Tsubasa.
“And you, Nanase-chan, you seem like someone quite special.” The girl blushed.
“Thank you.” “Hmph,” a disgruntled sound rose from the corner of the room.
Kamiki’s eyes shifted from Tsubasa to Kiyone.
“Is something wrong, Kiyone-chan?” he asked, his voice mocking, as if he were reading her very thoughts.
Kiyone gritted her teeth and looked away.
“Nothing,” she said shortly.
“Nothing at all.” Trying to regain control, Kiyone turned to Tsubasa and Eichiiro.
“Since we’re going to be friends, we should get to know each other better.
What do you guys like to do for fun?” Nanase smiled slightly.
“I love hiking and martial arts,” she said, her voice holding a surprising amount of confidence.
Kamiki’s eyes lit up.
“Wow, you’re amazing, Nanase-chan!
Most girls shy away from martial arts.” Nanase gained a little more courage.
“I train with Eichiiro sometimes.
It gets pretty exhausting.” Eichiiro chimed in, “Nanase is actually stronger than I am,” he admitted honestly.
“Nanase-chan, I’m quite curious about your fighting style,” Kamiki said.
Nanase blushed.
“Maybe I’ll show you someday,” she murmured.
Eichiiro sighed.
“I enjoy watching anime and reading manga.
I also like studying and reading books.” Kamiki’s eyes deepened.
*Anime?* He hadn’t watched any anime since arriving in this world.
He was curious about the state of the industry here.
“Eichiiro,” Kamiki said, his voice tinged with excitement.
“You have great taste.” Eichiiro looked surprised.
“You like them, too?” Kamiki smiled.
“It’s been a long time.
How is the industry doing?” Eichiiro eagerly explained.
“There are some great shows!
Dozens of series come out every season.” Kamiki leaned in, curious.
“Can you recommend any?” Kiyone sat up on the sofa, confused.
“Anime?” she asked, bewildered.
“Kamiki, are you serious?” Kamiki looked at her.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Eichiiro pulled out his phone excitedly.
“Let me list a few for you!” Nanase giggled.
“Eichiiro is like an encyclopedia when it comes to this.” Kamiki leaned back.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Eichiiro turned his phone screen toward Kamiki.
“Look at this,” he said.
“It’s called ‘The Quintessential Quintuplets’ (Go-Toubun no Hanayome).
It’s a fantastic series.” When Kamiki heard the name, he straightened up.
A familiar memory surfaced from the depths of his mind.
“Wow,” Kamiki said, his voice a mix of surprise and excitement.
“This…
I remember this.” Eichiiro was stunned.
“You’ve seen it?” *In my previous life,* Kamiki thought to himself, then composed himself.
“Yes, it was quite popular.
The five sisters, right?” Nanase watched them, perplexed.
“You two are so strange,” she remarked.
Kamiki got straight to the point, not hesitating for a second.
“So, who is the choice?
Nino or Miku?” Eichiiro answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“Definitely Miku!” Kamiki leaned in, his eyes gleaming.
“Miku?
Why?” Eichiiro felt a bit shy but remained firm.
“Because she tries so hard.
Her shyness, the way she struggles to express her feelings…
it feels so real.” Kamiki smiled.
“So, you prefer the quiet and deep ones?” “Yes,” Eichiiro said.
“Nino feels a bit too aggressive at times.” Kiyone, meanwhile, was utterly bored.
“When did the conversation turn to this?” she muttered.
Kamiki didn’t even hear her.
“Miku is a clever choice,” he said.
“But what do you think about Yotsuba?” Eichiiro paused.
“Yotsuba?
She’s very energetic.” “Too energetic,” Kamiki said with a faint smile.
“She might be a handful.” Nanase jumped in.
“And who would you choose, Kamiki-san?” Kamiki didn’t hesitate.
He kept his eyes locked on Nanase’s shy face.
He smiled slightly.
“All of them,” he said firmly.
Kiyone didn’t move.
She wasn’t surprised.
*That’s exactly the answer I expected from him,* she thought.
But the real question burning in her mind was: he had only been out of the White Room for a day.
How did he know these names?
Nanase was shocked, her face turning bright red as she stared at the floor.
“All of them?” she asked in a small voice.
“Are you not ashamed at all?” Kamiki shrugged.
“Why would I be?
Anything beautiful should be appreciated.” Nanase blushed even deeper.
“But…
isn’t that a bit too blunt?” Eichiiro, however, sat up straighter, his eyes shining.
He was in awe of Kamiki’s reckless honesty.
“You’re truly courageous, Kamiki-san!” he exclaimed.
“Most people would be afraid to say that.” Kamiki turned to Eichiiro.
“Courage?
No, this is just honesty.” Just then, the doorbell rang again.
Matsuo moved quickly to the door.
Everyone fell silent, watching to see who it was.
The door swung open with a bang, and Yuki stormed in like a tempest.
“Kamiki-kun!
I’m here!” she shouted.
She didn’t waste a second.
She threw herself at Kamiki, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
Kamiki smiled calmly and pulled her in by the waist.
Eichiiro froze in shock.
He looked at Yuki, then at Kiyone, and finally settled his gaze on Kamiki.
“My god,” he whispered, his eyes wide.
He remembered what Kamiki had just said about choosing “all of them,” and seeing it play out right in front of him…
Eichiiro swallowed hard, his heart racing.
He looked at Kamiki with newfound, reverent admiration.
“Truly…” he breathed, his voice trembling.
“You are a legend, Kamiki-san.” Kamiki raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you say that?” “It’s what everyone dreams of but no one can achieve.” Eichiiro bowed his head in awe.
“Please, share your great wisdom with me later, Kamiki-san.” Kamiki nodded slightly without letting Yuki go.
“Of course, Eichiiro.
My door is always open to those hungry for knowledge.” Kiyone couldn’t take it anymore.
She sprang up, grabbed Yuki by the arm, and pulled her into a secluded corner of the room.
“Yuki,” Kiyone whispered, her voice icy.
“Do you have any idea what kind of mess you caused yesterday?” Yuki blinked in confusion.
“What?
What did I do?” Kiyone spoke through gritted teeth.
“Last night…
because of you, Shiro got incredibly furious.” She recounted everything that had happened after Yuki had kissed Kamiki and fled.
The playful expression on Yuki’s face vanished.
Her eyes welled up with tears, and her lips trembled.
“I…
I didn’t want this,” she whispered.
Kiyone looked her straight in the eyes.
“You owe him a huge apology,” she said firmly.
“Your childish games pushed the situation to the brink of disaster.” Yuki’s shoulders slumped.
“Absolutely,” she said, her voice shaking.
“I’ll go to him.
I’ll make him forgive me.
I’ll do whatever it takes.” At that exact moment, the doorbell rang a third time, with a very determined tone.
Matsuo went to the door again.
As it opened, the figure who walked in sliced through the atmosphere of the living room like a knife.
Shiro entered.
On her face was a smile the likes of which no one had ever seen—huge, innocent, and bright.
Kiyone and Yuki froze where they stood.
They looked at each other in bewilderment.
Yuki whispered, “Kiyone…
Are you sure he was actually upset?” Shiro ignored everyone else and headed straight for Kamiki, who sat in his chair with an air of composure.
“Good morning, Shiro,” Kamiki said, his voice remarkably soft.
Shiro walked to Kamiki’s side.
“Good morning, Kamiki-kun,” she said joyfully, then wrapped him in a warm embrace in front of everyone.
Eichiiro sat in the corner, holding his breath as he watched.
He couldn’t take his eyes off Kamiki.
*This man…* he muttered to himself.
*He absolutely must be my mentor.* Kamiki checked the interface in his mind.
Shiro’s profile icon glowed.
[Shiro – Affection Level: 100/100] [Status: Unshakable until death – Loyalty: Absolute] Kamiki smiled inwardly.
*Good,* he thought.
*A perfect result.* Yuki was in disbelief at how happy Shiro looked.
“Kiyone, this is impossible.
She was crying last night.” Kamiki stroked Shiro’s hair, thinking back to the previous night.
The cruel, cold demeanor he had shown her wasn’t just anger—it was a strategy.
To push Shiro’s 97 affection points to 100—to absolute, unwavering devotion—he had to trigger her greatest fear.
Kamiki knew well that Shiro was terrified of him leaving, of him abandoning her.
For Shiro, Kamiki was the center of her world.
His departure meant the end of her existence.
When he told her, “Either you accept me as I am or everything ends,” her world had crumbled.
Those tears were the manifestation of her abandonment anxiety.
He had used that fear to bury the seeds of jealousy deep within her heart.
Now, Shiro had forced her own jealousy down, accepting Kamiki exactly as he was.
It had pushed her affection from 97 to 100.
As Kamiki continued to stroke her hair, he saw a deep, unwavering resolve in her eyes.
There was a sense of submission in her expression.
“Well done, Shiro-chan,” Kamiki said, his voice soft, like giving a prize.
“You finally understood what I told you.” Shiro straightened her head slightly.
A strange, eerie pride shimmered in her gaze.
“Of course I understood, Kamiki-kun.
Right now, I am the only one in this world who truly understands you.
Your darkness, your passion…
I carry it all.” Yuki approached them, her hands shaking; the weight of the previous day still hung over her.
“Shiro…
I…
I’m so sorry for what happened last night,” she whispered, her voice like a confession.
Shiro cut her off with a wave of her hand.
There was no trace of jealousy in her eyes; instead, there was a much more dangerous, calm light.
“Don’t apologize, Yuki,” Shiro said, a thin, razor-sharp smile on her lips.
“On the contrary, I want to thank you.” Everyone was stunned.
Shiro continued, “Thanks to you, I realized the truth last night.
I realized just how indispensable Kamiki-kun is to me.
Thanks to you, my heart is clear of all doubt.” The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
Shiro didn’t take her eyes off Kamiki for even a second.
The love in her gaze was so intense, so suffocating, that Eichiiro instinctively flinched.
Eichiiro’s mind was ringing with alarm bells.
He saw the dangerous obsession hidden behind Shiro’s innocent smile.
One word crossed his mind: *Yandere.* Kamiki carefully studied the intense, suffocating devotion in Shiro’s eyes.
Eichiiro’s definition of “Yandere” wasn’t exactly wrong, but Shiro was a unique case.
She wasn’t the classic, destructive yandere who isolated her beloved and harmed everyone around him.
She fell into the “Soft Yandere” category.
These types didn’t limit their beloved; they subordinated their own existence to feed his desires and passions.
Kamiki loved this non-destructive, constructively obsessive nature of hers.
Shiro didn’t eliminate the “threats” around Kamiki anymore—she supported them, even paved the way for them.
Kamiki stroked Shiro’s head and turned to Eichiiro and Tsubasa.
“As you can see, everyone around me is a bit…
special.” Meanwhile, Nanase still had no idea that she had just become a part of Kamiki’s “special world.”