Kamiki quickened his pace, moving swiftly through the corridors and heading straight toward the school building’s main exit.
Before he could even reach the dorms, he stepped onto the wide pathway running through the courtyard.
The evening breeze lightly disheveled his hair.
Right then, he noticed a group approaching from the opposite direction.
There were four of them, walking side by side.
It was Yuki, Ichinose Honami, Amikura Mako, and Shiranami Chihiro.
Yuki was at the front, her eyes scanning the area.
Suddenly, her gaze locked with Kamiki’s.
A massive smile instantly bloomed across Yuki’s face.
Her pace quickened, and she broke into a run.
“Kamiki-kun!” she called out cheerfully.
Without slowing down, she threw herself directly at him.
Kamiki caught her mid-air without losing his balance.
Yuki wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she pressed her lips against his cheek, leaving a warm kiss.
When her feet finally touched the ground, she didn’t pull away.
Instead, she clung tightly to Kamiki’s right arm, pressing her chest against it.
Ichinose and the girls behind her abruptly halted at the sudden display.
Ichinose’s cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she quickly looked away.
Amikura let out a small gasp of surprise, reflexively bringing a hand to her mouth.
As for Chihiro, she turned entirely red and lowered her head.
None of them had expected to witness such an intense display of intimacy right in the middle of the school grounds.
“Kamiki-kun!” Yuki said, a hint of sweet resentment in her voice.
“Where on earth were you?
I turned the whole school upside down looking for you, but you were nowhere to be found.” Kamiki put on his calm, flawless mask.
He gently stroked Yuki’s hair.
“Forgive me,” Kamiki said, his voice as serene and reassuring as always.
“I was in the library, just reading a book by myself.” Yuki tilted her head up, looking deep into Kamiki’s eyes.
A faint, cryptic smile played on her lips.
She could catch the distinct scent of another girl on him.
It definitely didn’t belong to Kiyone or Shiro.
It seemed Kamiki-kun hadn’t been entirely alone in that library.
Yet, she didn’t let on.
She played along, acting as if she knew nothing.
“So, the library,” Yuki said, her tone remaining completely cheerful.
“Studying on the very first day, I see.” Immediately after, she turned to the girls behind her, still refusing to let go of Kamiki’s arm.
“Let me introduce you to my friends,” Yuki said.
She gestured toward Amikura.
“This is Amikura Mako.
You already met on the bus this morning.” Amikura stepped forward slightly, offering a shy smile and a small wave.
“Hello again, Shirogane-kun.” “It’s nice to run into you again,” Kamiki replied.
Next, Yuki pointed toward Ichinose.
“And this beautiful girl is Ichinose Honami.” Ichinose took a step forward, her warm, genuine smile returning.
She politely extended her hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Shirogane-kun,” Ichinose said, her voice filled with sincerity.
“Yuki has told us so much about you.” Kamiki shook her extended hand.
“The pleasure is mine, Ichinose-san,” he said.
“Thank you for looking after Yuki.” Finally, Yuki gestured toward Chihiro.
“And this is Chihiro Shiranami.” Still quite timid, Chihiro lifted her head just a fraction.
“H-Hello, Shirogane-kun,” she murmured.
“Hello, Shiranami-san,” Kamiki said, offering a polite nod.
Yuki snuggled closer to Kamiki again.
“Now that we’ve all met,” she said, “we should go do something together, right?” “Of course,” Kamiki replied, his tone exceptionally polite.
“What would you all like to do?” Yuki clung a bit tighter to his arm, resting her head against his shoulder.
“We’ve been searching for you for hours,” Yuki sighed with exaggerated exhaustion.
“We are absolutely drained.” She glanced back at the girls, then turned her eyes back to Kamiki.
“There’s a lovely cafe nearby,” Yuki said.
“Let’s go sit down there.” Kamiki nodded gently, shifting his gaze toward Ichinose and the other two girls.
An expression of genuine remorse appeared on his face, silently conveying his apologies.
“I’m sorry for making you all run around,” Kamiki said, his voice incredibly soft.
“You ended up wandering all over the school because of me.” Hearing this, Ichinose immediately waved her hands frantically in dismissal.
Her face flushed slightly as she offered a flustered smile.
“Ah, no!
Not at all!” Ichinose said.
“There’s absolutely no need to apologize, Shirogane-kun.” “Yeah, seriously, don’t worry about it,” Amikura chimed in with a bright smile.
“We were already exploring the campus anyway.” Chihiro also nodded quietly, murmuring, “It’s really no problem.” Kamiki smiled faintly at their responses.
Reaching into his right pocket, he pulled out his phone.
He unlocked the screen and held it out directly toward Yuki.
“Let’s exchange contact info,” Kamiki said.
“Yuki, go ahead and put your number in.” Without a second thought, Yuki snatched the phone from his hand, her fingers moving swiftly across the screen.
She quickly saved her name and number.
When she finished, she looked up, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Instead of handing the phone back to Kamiki, she held it out to Ichinose.
“Here, Honami,” Yuki said cheerfully.
“You put your number in too.” Ichinose was caught entirely off guard.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked from the phone to Yuki.
A soft pink blush spread across her cheeks, and she turned to Kamiki with a bashful expression.
“Um…” Ichinose said, her voice sounding a bit hesitant.
“Would that be alright with you, Shirogane-kun?” Kamiki observed Ichinose’s shy demeanor with sharp attentiveness.
Looking directly into her eyes, the smile on his lips deepened.
He took a step closer, shifting his voice to a more alluring, resonant register.
“Why would there be any problem,” Kamiki said, keeping his gaze locked onto hers, “with me getting the number of such a beautiful girl?” Ichinose froze completely at his words.
She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, and the faint pink on her face instantly darkened into a deep crimson.
“Ah…” was all she could manage, immediately lowering her head.
Amikura let out a soft giggle from behind, while Chihiro watched the exchange with wide eyes.
Yuki, standing right beside him, simply smiled in silence.
She knew exactly what Kamiki was doing with his flirtatious charm, but she chose to say nothing.
Taking a deep breath, Ichinose tried to compose herself.
With slightly trembling hands, she took the phone from Yuki.
“In that case…” Ichinose said in a low voice.
“I’ll save it.” Her fingers shook slightly as she typed her number into the keypad, the crimson blush still painted across her cheeks.
She swallowed hard before locking the screen, then lifted her head to hand the phone back to Kamiki with a shy smile.
“There,” Ichinose said, her voice barely a whisper.
“I’ve saved it, Shirogane-kun.” As Kamiki took the phone back, his fingers lightly brushed against hers.
Ichinose immediately averted her eyes.
Kamiki, however, didn’t falter.
Instead of putting the phone away, he held onto it, turning his gaze toward Amikura and Chihiro.
“I wonder,” Kamiki said, tilting his head slightly, “if I might be lucky enough to get the numbers of the other beautiful girls here today as well?” “Hahahahaha!” Amikura Mako burst into a cheerful laugh.
Without a shred of hesitation, she took a step forward and nimbly snatched the phone right out of Kamiki’s hand.
“You are truly something else, Shirogane-kun!” Amikura said, still laughing.
“But I definitely can’t say no to an offer like that.” Her fingers practically danced across the screen, adding her own number to the contacts within seconds.
Once finished, she looked up at her friend and held the phone out to Chihiro.
“Your turn, Chihiro,” Amikura said with a wink.
“Don’t miss out.
You’re a beautiful girl too, so don’t let this chance slip away.” Chihiro Shiranami’s face was already red, but at Amikura’s words, it practically caught fire.
She could feel the heat radiating all the way to her ears.
Part out of embarrassment and part out of frustration at her friend’s overly casual attitude, she knit her brows slightly.
“Mako!” Chihiro snapped in a low, reproachful whisper.
“Stop doing that!” “Come on, come on, Shirogane-kun is waiting,” Amikura urged, shoving the phone into Chihiro’s hands.
Chihiro looked down at the device as if it were a dangerous object.
Out of the corner of her eye, she sneaked a glance at Kamiki, whose calm, polite eyes were fixed on her.
Her heart was racing against her ribs.
To avoid drawing any more attention, she lowered her head completely.
“F-Fine,” she murmured.
With trembling fingers, she woke the screen and began typing.
Flustered, she hit the wrong keys a few times, deleting and retyping them.
Finally, she pressed the save button and let out a deep breath, holding the phone out to Kamiki with both hands.
She didn’t dare lift her gaze.
“I-I’ve saved it too,” Chihiro said, her voice incredibly timid.
Kamiki gently took the phone from her hands, casting a quick glance at the names on the screen.
The contact list was growing quite crowded.
Tucking the phone into his pocket, he offered the girls a slight bow.
“Thank you very much, girls,” Kamiki said, utilizing that velvety tone of his.
“I am truly having a lucky day today.” “Of course you are,” Yuki said playfully.
“You get to hang out with amazing girls like us.
But now, it’s time for this lucky boy to treat us to something nice.” Trying to regain her composure, Ichinose chimed in.
“Yes, we really were exhausted.
The cafe idea sounds wonderful.” Amikura nodded in agreement.
“Absolutely!
We should definitely get strawberry tart.” Chihiro, still reeling from Kamiki’s earlier compliments, silently decided to just follow her friends.
With Yuki clinging to his arm and the other three girls surrounding him, Kamiki began walking toward the cafe district.
They stepped through the doors of the cafe.
The place was quite lively, with the rich aroma of coffee hanging heavy in the air.
They found an available table and sat down—a large, round table.
Yuki immediately claimed the seat right next to Kamiki.
Ichinose sat directly opposite them, while Amikura and Chihiro took their places on either side of her.
A waiter appeared beside them almost instantly, placing menus on the table.
“I’ll have a strawberry latte,” Amikura said without even looking at the menu.
“And a slice of strawberry tart.” “Just a filter coffee for me, please,” Ichinose said, offering the waiter a polite smile.
“I’ll take a cappuccino,” Chihiro added in a quiet voice.
Yuki pushed her menu entirely over to Kamiki.
“Let Kamiki-kun choose for me,” she said brightly.
“I want to have the same thing as him.” “Alright then,” Kamiki said, turning to the waiter.
“Two caramel macchiatos, please.
And bring us a selection of your cakes as well.” The waiter jotted down the order and quickly left the table.
Whispers began to rise from the surrounding tables.
Nearly every eye in the cafe had turned toward them.
The group was incredibly conspicuous.
Sitting calmly in the middle of four beautiful girls was a single, remarkably handsome boy.
In particular, the male students at the adjacent tables were glaring daggers at Kamiki.
Their expressions were laced with blatant jealousy, and a few were muttering under their breath.
Amikura noticed the atmosphere immediately.
She glanced around, pouching her lips.
“Everyone is staring at us,” Amikura noted, her tone a bit mischievous.
“Or rather, they’re staring at you, Shirogane-kun.” Ichinose was also growing uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny, shifting slightly in her seat.
“I think we’re drawing a bit too much attention,” Ichinose said, lowering her gaze.
“The looks from the guys don’t exactly seem friendly.” Kamiki, however, was entirely unfazed.
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting lazily across the girls at the table.
“I can’t exactly blame them,” Kamiki said smoothly.
Chihiro blinked in surprise, lifting her head.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Kamiki looked directly into the girls’ eyes, a flawless smile gracing his face.
“I have four stunningly beautiful girls with me,” Kamiki said, his voice carrying its usual hypnotic charm.
“It’s only natural that they look at me like I’m their enemy.
If I were in their shoes, I’d be jealous too.” Chihiro looked ready to dive straight under the table, trying desperately to hide her face behind her hair.
Amikura, on the other hand, let out a loud chuckle.
“You are unbelievable, Shirogane-kun!
A total smooth-talker.” Beside him, Yuki snuggled even closer to Kamiki, wrapping her arm around his once more.
Holding her head high, she cast a defiant glance around at the staring boys.
“Let them look,” Yuki said proudly.
“Kamiki-kun is with me anyway.” The waiter returned just then, placing their orders on the table.
“Enjoy your meal,” he said, giving Kamiki a brief, irritated glare before walking away.
“Thank you,” Ichinose said, attempting to smooth over the tension as she took a sip of her coffee.
Kamiki reached for his own cup.
“Well then,” he said.
“Time to unwind from the day’s exhaustion.” Setting her coffee cup back down, Ichinose fixed her eyes on Kamiki.
“Shirogane-kun,” Ichinose began, her voice tinged with curiosity.
“Yuki has told us a lot about you.” Kamiki paused, holding his cup mid-air.
“Oh?
Is that so?” “Yes,” Ichinose said, leaning forward slightly.
“But we’d still love to get to know you better.
What kind of things do you like?” Kamiki hesitated, placing his cup back on the table as he fell into thought.
In truth, he rarely considered what he actually “liked.” His mind was always consumed by strategies and calculations; his own desires were always secondary.
“I suppose I enjoy reading history books.” Amikura took a bite of her cake.
“History?
Isn’t that a bit dry?” “Let’s call it military history and strategy,” Kamiki clarified.
“And martial arts.” Chihiro blinked rapidly.
“Martial arts?
So you’re into sports as well?” “Yes,” Kamiki said.
“I like keeping myself sharp.
Though, that’s not all.” “What else is there?” Ichinose inquired.
“Video games,” Kamiki said.
“And most importantly…” He looked each of the girls dead in the eye, one by one, his expression shifting into something playful.
“I enjoy talking to beautiful girls,” Kamiki stated, his voice brimming with absolute confidence.
Amikura burst into a delighted laugh at his bluntness.
“Pffft, you are incredibly honest, Shirogane-kun!” Ichinose couldn’t help but laugh along, a faint pink hue returning to her cheeks.
“That’s exactly what Yuki described,” Ichinose said.
“She really painted an accurate picture of you.” Kamiki turned his head slightly to look at Yuki sitting beside him.
“It makes sense,” Kamiki said, looking directly into Yuki’s eyes.
“After all, we’ve known each other for about fifteen years.” Hearing this, Ichinose froze.
Her eyebrows arched up in pure bewilderment.
“Wait a minute,” Ichinose said.
“We’re only fifteen years old right now.” Amikura was equally stunned.
“What do you mean?
Fifteen years?” Yuki clung even tighter to Kamiki’s arm, lifting her chin with a proud expression.
“You heard right,” Yuki said cheerfully.
“We’ve grown up together literally since we were babies.” “Incredible,” Chihiro murmured softly.
“Almost your entire lives have been spent together.” “Yes,” Yuki said, leaning in to whisper near Kamiki, though she didn’t bother to truly hide her voice.
“I know every single one of his secrets.” Kamiki merely smiled at Yuki’s possessive display.
“Yuki’s right,” he said.
“She knows me best.” Watching the profound bond between the two childhood friends, Ichinose felt genuinely touched.
“Having a childhood friend like that,” Ichinose said, “is truly something precious.” “Absolutely,” Amikura agreed.
“Especially when he’s such a smooth-talker.” The ambient noise of the cafe hummed around them, and the sharp glares from the boys hadn’t subsided.
However, the lively chatter at their table completely drowned out the envious grumbles of the crowd.
Kamiki took another sip from his cup, then leaned back, shifting his focus to Ichinose.
“What about you?” Kamiki asked, his tone laced with genuine curiosity.
“What kind of things do you enjoy, Ichinose-san?” At the question, Ichinose paused briefly.
She brought the index finger of her right hand to her chin, tilting her head up slightly as she looked toward the ceiling to think.
The gesture looked incredibly adorable.
“Me?” she murmured.
After a brief moment of thought, she turned back to Kamiki, her warm, earnest smile returning.
“I love meeting new people,” Ichinose said.
“I really enjoy listening to different stories about people’s lives.” “That’s a wonderful pursuit,” Kamiki said, nodding in approval.
“And spending time with my friends,” Ichinose continued.
“I absolutely adore going to different events together.” She let out a small giggle.
“Oh, and there’s one more thing.” Her eyes danced with excitement.
“Brain teasers.” An instantaneous flash of interest appeared in Kamiki’s eyes.
“Brain teasers?” “Yes,” Ichinose nodded.
“Puzzles, strategy board games, things like that.
They’re incredibly fun to me.” Kamiki observed Ichinose carefully.
The energy radiating from the girl had an immediate, magnetic pull on everyone around her.
She was the textbook definition of a perfect social leader.
“It shows,” Kamiki said, a polite smile gracing his lips.
“You’re exceptionally friendly.” Ichinose’s cheeks flushed a light pink.
“Thank you,” she said.
“I guess I just really like people.” Yuki, who still hadn’t let go of Kamiki’s arm, smiled quietly as she watched the sweet conversation unfold.
She could already tell just how pure-hearted Ichinose was.
“Honami has already become the school’s darling on the very first day,” Yuki praised.
“Please don’t exaggerate, Yuki-chan,” Ichinose said, lightly covering her face with her hands, clearly embarrassed.
“I’m just trying to get along with everyone.” “That in itself is a talent, Ichinose-san,” Kamiki said, his voice deep and resonant.
“Not everyone can pull that off.” Ichinose took a large gulp of her coffee, looking eager to shift the spotlight away from herself.
Her embarrassment was written all over her face.
“Anyway,” Ichinose said with a smile.
“We’ll get to know each other much better over time.” “Absolutely,” Kamiki replied.
The clinking of cups and the low hum of the cafe continued around them as the conversation at the table found its perfect rhythm.
Right then, the heavy wooden door at the entrance of the cafe swung open abruptly.
A new group of five students walked in, drawing the gaze of the surrounding tables for a brief moment.
Among them, a white-haired girl rapidly scanned the room.
It took her only a few seconds to lock onto her target.
The moment she spotted Kamiki, her eyes lit up.
“Kamiki-kun!” she called out.
Without a single moment of hesitation, she picked up her pace, practically sprinting toward the table.
Under the bewildered stares of the other girls, she charged directly at Kamiki.
Completely unbothered by her surroundings, she fluidly climbed right onto Kamiki’s lap, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
She pressed her lips firmly against his cheek, leaving a loud, echoing kiss.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Shiro said, her tone thoroughly playful and full of energy.
In that exact instant, the entire cafe went dead silent.
The chatter at the surrounding tables vanished in a flash.
The only things left hanging in the air were the scent of fresh coffee and a profound, heavy silence.
The eyes of the male students at the neighboring tables looked ready to pop out of their sockets.
The guy who had been sitting with four beautiful girls just had a fifth one climb onto his lap.
The jealous whispers instantly died out, replaced by sheer, unadulterated shock.
It wasn’t just the crowd; the girls at the table were completely frozen in place.
The coffee cup in Ichinose’s hand trembled mid-air.
Her eyes grew wide with shock, her mouth parting slightly.
Amikura dropped her dessert fork right back onto her plate.
“O-Oh my god…” she murmured in utter amazement.
Chihiro turned completely bright red at the sight, immediately turning her head away.
Disoriented and unsure of what to do, she shoved her hands deep into her uniform pockets.
Yuki, meanwhile, remained completely unphased, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
Amidst the absolute chaos, Kamiki maintained his staggering composure.
His mask didn’t slip for a fraction of a second.
He placed a gentle hand on Shiro’s waist to steady her.
“Welcome, Shiro,” Kamiki said, his voice entirely serene.
“I’m glad you found me.” “Shiro-chan,” Yuki said, leaning forward slightly.
“Aren’t you being a bit too casual in front of everyone?” Shiro turned her head to look at Yuki, pouting her lips in a thoroughly dismissive manner.
“Why should I care?” Shiro asked, snuggling closer to Kamiki.
“Kamiki-kun’s lap is my designated spot anyway.” Ichinose finally managed to collect herself, clearing her throat.
She tried to wipe the shock from her face, attempting to strike a friendly, welcoming tone.
“Um…” Ichinose began, shifting her gaze from the girl in his lap to Kamiki.
“Shirogane-kun, aren’t you going to introduce your friend to us?” Kamiki offered a slight nod to the girls at the table.
“Of course,” he said.
“This is Shiro.
She is someone very close and special to me.” “It’s pretty obvious how close you are,” Amikura murmured, letting out a stunned giggle as she struggled to process the situation.
Shiro scanned the table, her eyes settling on Ichinose as she smiled.
“Hello,” she said.
“Are you Kamiki-kun’s new friends?” “Yes,” Ichinose said, lightly extending her hand.
“I’m Ichinose Honami.
It’s a pleasure to meet you, Shiro-san.” Shiro shook the extended hand.
“The pleasure is mine,” she replied.
She then leaned in to whisper into Kamiki’s ear, though she deliberately kept her voice loud enough to be heard.
“You’ve surrounded yourself with beautiful girls again.” Kamiki merely offered a faint smile at her remark.
“We were just having coffee,” he said.
The other students in the cafe continued to stare intently at the table.
The furious glares from the boys were now verging on absolute outrage.
Author’s Note: Do you like this story?
Do I need to continue?
Except for a few people, he doesn’t comment.
I don’t know if you like the story or not.