The next morning, Kamiki woke up early.
He meticulously put on his uniform, adjusted his hair in the mirror, and put on his flawless, reassuring mask.
Leaving his room, he made his way toward Class A.
When he opened the door and stepped inside, he was greeted by a bizarre atmosphere.
You could hear a pin drop.
Everyone was sitting silently at their desks, waiting for Mashima-sensei with solemn gravity.
Seeing the students’ disciplined yet tense behavior, Kamiki smiled inwardly.
With calm steps, he walked over to his desk, set down his bag, pulled out his chair, and sat down.
Right at that moment, a monotonous and completely emotionless voice rose from directly behind him.
“Good morning, Harem-kun.” Since the room was dead silent, everyone heard that eerie voice.
Within seconds, every single head in the classroom snapped toward them.
The male students’ expressions changed instantly.
Just yesterday, on the first day of school, they had seen Kamiki at the cafe, surrounded by the school’s most beautiful girls.
Intense jealousy burned in their eyes; they looked ready to eat him alive.
Kamiki, however, completely ignored their death stares.
Keeping his composure, he turned around slightly and looked at Morishita with his usual charming smile.
“Good morning, Morishita-san,” Kamiki said, his tone entirely relaxed.
Just then, a familiar, delicate chuckle echoed from the front rows.
“Fufu…” Leaning on her cane, Arisu Sakayanagi turned her head slightly.
A mocking, sharp gleam flashed in her violet eyes as she looked directly into Kamiki’s.
Her lips curled with amusement.
“It seems you’ve already earned the enmity of the boys in school, Shirogane-kun,” Sakayanagi said playfully.
At her words, the boys straightened up even more.
Kamiki leaned forward slightly in his seat.
“If they have the courage to be my enemy,” Kamiki said, his voice flat, clear, and smooth, “I’m always right here.” Suddenly, Ai Morishita stood up from her seat.
Her large, round eyes shone with an unusual light.
She stepped toward Kamiki and stopped right in front of him.
“Sensei,” Morishita said in a flat tone.
“Teach me how to be that brave.” Kamiki maintained his smile, but inwardly, he let out a deep sigh.
*’Am I a sensei again?’* he thought dynamically.
Adjusting his tone, Kamiki spoke warningly, “Morishita.” Morishita instantly straightened her back and pinned her arms to her sides, standing at attention like a soldier.
“Yes, sensei!” she responded, loud and clear.
The tense atmosphere in the classroom began to dissipate.
Kamiki shook his head slightly.
“I can’t teach you how to be brave,” Kamiki said calmly.
“Because that’s not something that can be taught.” Morishita knitted her brows slightly, keeping her eyes locked onto his.
“But sensei, how can that be?” she asked.
Kamiki looked at her, puzzled.
“What do you mean?” “I saw it in my dream last night,” Morishita continued, her voice still completely monotonous.
“You were secretly studying in your room.” “And what exactly was I studying?” Kamiki asked.
Morishita continued with a deadpan expression.
“There were two books on your desk.
You were reading *’How to Be Brave’* and *’How to Act Cool’職.” The boys in the front rows couldn’t hold it in anymore.
A couple of them started snickering, and soon, all the boys were chuckling under their breaths.
They were thoroughly enjoying this.
Since yesterday, this Kamiki guy had been walking around like an alpha, looking down on everyone and talking smoothly.
Now, Morishita had utterly shattered his mysterious aura with a single sentence.
“So, books on how to be cool, huh?” a boy in the next row muttered with a laugh.
“Guess he even practices his tactics in his dreams,” another chimed in.
The jealous, angry glares the boys had been giving Kamiki turned into mocking, satisfied smirks.
They thought his charisma had just taken a massive hit.
Arisu Sakayanagi tapped her cane lightly against the floor.
“Fufu…” she laughed.
“So those books were your secret, Shirogane-kun.
What an informative dream indeed.” Hearing the mocking whispers and chuckles throughout the room, Kamiki didn’t let his mask slip.
Inwardly, though, he was amazed by Morishita’s unpredictable imagination.
“Dreams usually turn out to be the opposite of reality, Morishita-san,” Kamiki said, never losing his confident tone.
Morishita tilted her head slightly.
“Is that so?
So you’ve already memorized them and don’t need to read them anymore?” This time, the boys burst into outright laughter.
The classroom’s disciplined atmosphere was completely gone.
Kamiki leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his desk.
“Morishita,” he said.
“I really can’t teach you how to be brave.” Morishita kept staring at him without blinking, filled with puzzled curiosity.
“Why, sensei?” A soft, almost spellbinding smile appeared on Kamiki’s lips.
“Because you are already much braver than you think.” At this, Morishita tilted her head to the left.
“Me?” “Yes,” Kamiki said, his gaze sweeping across the rest of the students.
“To speak your mind so freely in front of the entire class without fearing anyone…
that is a much more real form of courage than anything written in those books.” Morishita paused for a moment, blinking her large eyes.
“I see,” she murmured.
“So I’m a natural talent.” Kamiki nodded slightly.
“Absolutely.” Slowly, Kamiki straightened up.
The soft smile vanished from his face, replaced by a gaze of ice-cold malice.
He swept his eyes across the boys one by one.
The moment the boys’ mocking smirks met Kamiki’s eyes, their laughter died instantly.
A deathly silence blanketed the classroom within seconds.
Kamiki placed his hands on the desk and cracked his knuckles.
*Crack.
Crack.
Crack.* The sharp sound echoed loudly in the silent room.
“Quiet,” Kamiki said.
His voice was barely above a whisper, but every word hit like a bullet.
The boys swallowed hard.
No one dared to even breathe.
“I suppose you’ve already forgotten our conversation yesterday,” Kamiki continued, leaning forward slightly.
“Do you need a reminder?” Every single male student instantly looked down, averting their eyes.
Inwardly, they lamented in sheer frustration and helplessness.
*’This guy is a literal monster,’* one thought.
*’He acts like a terrifying demon to us, but he’s incredibly soft on girls,’* another complained.
*’This is so unfair,’* a boy in the back grumbled in disappointment.
*’Morishita literally made fun of him and got a compliment.
We just laughed, and he looks like he wants to murder us.’* Satisfied by their submissive display, Kamiki leaned back, softening his gaze once more.
Arisu Sakayanagi lightly tapped her cane against her desk.
“Fufu…” she murmured.
“The way you manage the class is truly admirable, Shirogane-kun.
Fear is an excellent leash.” “I am merely preserving the peace of the classroom, Sakayanagi-san,” Kamiki replied, glancing at her.
Just then, the door slid open again.
Mashima-sensei walked in with his lesson plan in hand.
Everyone, especially the boys, let out a deep sigh of relief.
They were finally free from Kamiki’s suffocating pressure.
Mashima-sensei walked heavily toward the podium, slammed his thick textbooks onto the desk, and scanned the room with sharp eyes.
“Good morning,” Mashima-sensei said, his voice deep and stern as always.
The class responded in unison, “Good morning, sensei.” Mashima-sensei nodded, opened his textbook, and was just about to start the lesson when his school phone vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out, looked at the screen, and quickly read the incoming message.
Turning his gaze back to the class, he looked directly at a girl sitting in the middle rows.
“Masumi Kamuro,” Mashima-sensei called out.
Hearing her name, Kamuro straightened up slightly and looked at the teacher with a bored expression.
“Yes, sensei?” “Student Council President Manabu Horikita wants to see you,” Mashima-sensei said.
“Apparently, it’s something important.
You may leave now.” These words sent an immediate wave of curiosity through the classroom.
The Student Council President was the most powerful figure in the school.
Why would he urgently call a Class A student on just the second day of school?
Everyone turned curious eyes toward Kamuro.
Arisu Sakayanagi slowly tapped her fingers on her cane, narrowing her eyes slightly as she looked at Kamuro.
Inwardly, she wondered what this was about.
Kamuro, however, didn’t care about the intense stares.
With no sign of anxiety on her face, she calmly stood up, leaving her bag on her desk.
Adjusting her skirt slightly, she walked down the aisle toward the door.
Just as she passed Kamiki’s desk, she slowed her pace for a fraction of a millisecond.
She gave a barely perceptible nod toward him.
Kamiki didn’t lose his composure.
He leaned back in his seat, a faint, dark smirk playing on his lips—so subtle that no one else noticed.
Looking directly at Kamuro, he gave her a faint wink.
Masumi Kamuro walked calmly down the hallway, her face wearing its usual indifferent expression.
Stopping in front of the Student Council room, she knocked twice.
“Come in.” Hearing the voice, she turned the knob and stepped inside.
The atmosphere inside was incredibly tense.
Behind the desk sat the commanding figure of Student Council President Manabu Horikita, his sharp gaze dominating the room from behind his glasses.
Beside him stood the secretary, Akane Tachibana, holding a tablet.
Haruki Yamauchi was in the middle of giving an exaggerated, detailed account of how he had “accidentally” discovered Class A’s Masumi Kamuro shoplifting, righteously claiming he had to expose such corrupt behavior to protect the school’s integrity.
Manabu Horikita placed his documents down and directed his gaze at Kamuro.
“Welcome, Masumi Kamuro,” Manabu said, his voice ice-cold and distant.
“Have a seat.” He gestured to the empty chair directly opposite Haruki Yamauchi.
Without saying a word, Kamuro walked over, pulled out the chair, and sat down, crossing her legs.
She met Yamauchi’s angry glare with equal coldness.
Unable to contain himself, Yamauchi leaned forward.
“So you finally showed up,” he hissed through his teeth.
Kamuro let out a soft scoff, rolling her eyes.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” she said flatly.
Manabu Horikita tapped the desk sharply.
“Silence,” he commanded sternly.
He slowly pushed the documents aside, fixing his sharp eyes on Kamuro.
“Masumi Kamuro,” Manabu said, his voice echoing coldly in the room.
Kamuro remained unfazed.
“Yes, President?” “We have evidence,” Manabu stated.
“Submitted to the council by Haruki Yamauchi.” Yamauchi smirked arrogantly from his seat, looking down his nose at Kamuro.
“The evidence is a video recording,” Manabu continued.
“There is footage indicating that you committed theft at the school convenience store yesterday.” The room fell into complete silence for a moment.
Akane Tachibana gripped her tablet tightly.
“Is there anything you wish to say to us?” Manabu asked.
Kamuro didn’t hesitate.
There wasn’t a single trace of regret or fear on her face as she looked directly into the president’s eyes.
“I have nothing to say,” Kamuro replied.
Her voice was soft, but unusually firm.
Her response instantly shifted the air in the room.
Hearing her words, Yamauchi was practically drunk on victory.
He couldn’t hold it back anymore.
He abruptly lunged out of his seat, knocking his chair back.
“President!” Yamauchi shouted gleefully, pointing a finger at Kamuro.
“Did you see that?
Did you see?!” He was breathless, his anger morphing into a massive ego trip.
“She admitted to it straight up!
I told you!
This girl is a thief!!” Akane Tachibana looked at Yamauchi in shock.
“Yamauchi-kun, watch your manners,” she warned.
Manabu Horikita didn’t even flinch.
The gaze behind his glasses merely grew sharper as he turned his eyes to Yamauchi.
“Sit down,” Manabu said.
His voice was so cold and authoritative that the room practically froze.
Yamauchi froze in his tracks, caught off guard by the president’s terrifying aura.
The sudden burst of courage inside him vanished in an instant.
“But President…” Yamauchi stammered.
“I told you to sit down, Haruki Yamauchi,” Manabu repeated.
Yamauchi swallowed hard, his body flinching slightly.
He straightened his chair and slowly sank back into it, lowering his head but still visibly fuming.
Meanwhile, Kamuro watched Yamauchi’s pathetic display.
Seeing Kamiki’s trap working flawlessly put her mind at ease.
Manabu turned back to Kamuro.
“Does having nothing to say mean you accept the charge, Kamuro?” Kamuro leaned back slightly.
“Interpret it however you like, President,” she said casually.
Her eyes met Manabu Horikita’s directly, without a hint of avoidance.
“I didn’t steal anything.” “But the video…” standing nearby, Akane Tachibana couldn’t help but speak up, a bewildered expression on her face.
“The video proves nothing,” Masumi Kamuro interrupted coldly.
Haruki Yamauchi practically lost his mind.
He clenched his fists and lunged forward from his chair again.
“President!” Yamauchi yelled, his voice ringing through the room.
“This girl is lying!
She just said she had nothing to say!
That’s a confession!” Kamuro gave him an icy glare, remaining completely composed.
“Plus, we have clear footage!” Yamauchi continued, puffing out his chest.
“We saw it with our own eyes!
Expel her immediately!” Akane Tachibana frowned.
“Yamauchi-kun, you are crossing the line,” she said sharply.
“The Student Council makes the final decision.” Manabu Horikita slowly adjusted his glasses and interlaced his fingers on the desk.
His gaze was fixed neither on Yamauchi nor Kamuro; he was staring directly at the short clip playing on his computer screen.
“No,” Manabu Horikita said suddenly, his voice deeper and more skeptical than usual.
The arrogant smile on Yamauchi’s face froze.
“Sir?” he stammered.
“This situation is a bit strange,” Manabu said, turning his eyes to Yamauchi.
“The Student Council will investigate this matter further.
The footage will be reviewed in detail, and we will take statements from the convenience store staff.” Kamuro stood up and smoothed down her clothes.
“May I leave, President?” she asked.
Manabu nodded.
“You may leave, Kamuro.” “But…
But President!” Yamauchi whined, standing up as well.
“This is unfair!
Is that thief just going to walk free?” “Both of you may leave now,” Manabu said, his tone final.
“The matter is temporarily concluded.
We will summon you again.” Kamuro turned around and walked toward the door.
As she opened it, she cast a contemptuous look back at Yamauchi.
Yamauchi stood rooted to the spot, clenching his fists and gnashing his teeth in rage.
The fact that his plan hadn’t immediately worked was driving him crazy.
Oblivious to the true hell Kamiki Shirogane had prepared for him, he stormed out of the room in a fury.
Masumi Kamuro stepped out of the Student Council room, closing the heavy door behind her.
The moment she entered the hallway, whispers broke out.
The students gathered in the corridor were staring at her, murmuring among themselves.
“She caught shoplifting, is it true?” a boy asked.
“A thief from Class A, huh?” another laughed.
Kamuro heard them, but she didn’t let her expression waver.
She quickened her pace, cutting through the crowd, and walked out of the school building.
She made her way to a secluded corner of the courtyard, heading toward a large tree.
Kamiki Shirogane was sitting right there, leaning his back against the trunk.
He looked completely at ease, playing with his phone.
Seeing Kamuro arrive, he looked up.
Kamuro reached the tree and checked her surroundings carefully, wanting to make sure no one else was around.
“I did what you wanted,” Kamuro said, her voice remaining distant.
“Are you happy?” Kamiki slipped his phone into his pocket, his usual smooth smile appearing on his lips.
“Calm down, Beer-chan,” Kamiki said softly.
“Nothing is going to happen to you.” Kamuro frowned; she absolutely hated that nickname.
“Besides, you know,” Kamiki continued, standing up and brushing himself off lightly.
“I could have pulled this off easily without you.
It’s child’s play to me.” Kamuro didn’t say anything, she just listened.
“But you are my right hand now,” Kamiki said, taking a step closer to her and looking into her eyes.
“So you can think of this little task as an internship.” Kamuro let out an annoyed breath.
“Don’t call me that,” she hissed through her teeth.
“Stop calling me Beer-chan.” “As you wish,” Kamiki smiled.
“So, what happened inside?” “It went exactly as you predicted,” Kamuro said, looking away.
“Manabu Horikita postponed the decision.
He didn’t swallow the bait immediately.” “Good,” Kamiki said.
“I’m not surprised.” “He’ll hold another meeting this afternoon,” Kamuro added.
“He said he’s going to investigate thoroughly.” “Alright then, Masumi-chan,” Kamiki said, his mocking tone clear.
“I’ll be your handsome lawyer this afternoon.” Kamuro’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she felt her cheeks growing warm.
She hated the feeling.
She turned to Kamiki in annoyance.
“And don’t call me by my first name either!” she snapped.
Her voice was sharp, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her.
Kamiki thoroughly enjoyed watching her reaction.
He stepped even closer, closing the distance between them almost entirely.
“I can’t do that, Masumi-chan,” Kamiki whispered, his voice soft yet full of certainty.
“We are going to be *very* close from now on.” Kamuro tried to look away, but Kamiki’s aura practically rooted her to the spot.
Trapped by his sudden proximity, Kamuro felt completely backed into a corner.
The sound of her pounding heartbeat echoed in her ears.
To hide the flush on her face, she snapped her head back, knitting her brows as hard as she could to look tough.
“Who would ever want to get close to a creep like you?” Kamuro snapped.
Kamiki didn’t lose his composure.
The irritatingly charming smile on his lips widened.
Slowly, he raised his hand and, before Kamuro could react, threaded his fingers through her soft hair.
“Hey, hey,” Kamiki said, his voice incredibly calm and soothing.
He began to gently pat her head, as if calming a grumpy pet.
“Alright, stop acting like that.
Remember, you’re playing a role right now.” Kamuro froze.
Kamiki’s warm hand was moving gently over her hair.
“You’re supposed to be sad,” Kamiki said, fixing his eyes on hers.
“Right now, you’re a falsely accused, heartbroken girl.” The moment she felt the touch of his fingers, Kamuro realized her body had tensed up.
Like a cat whose head was unexpectedly stroked, she stiffened.
Every hair on her body stood on end, and the faint pink on her cheeks flared into a deep, burning crimson.
“What…
What do you think you’re doing?!” Kamuro hissed.
She immediately took a few steps back, quickly slipping out of Kamiki’s reach.
“Don’t touch me!” she snapped, trying to fix her hair, though her hands were trembling.
Kamiki slowly lowered his hand, slipping it into his pocket.
“I’m just making sure you’re focused on your role, Masumi-chan,” he said smoothly, thoroughly amused.
“I’m leaving!” Kamuro yelled.
She felt like her heart would stop if she stayed there any longer.
This guy’s aura was far too dangerous.
“See you this afternoon then,” Kamiki called out after her, his voice still completely relaxed.
“Your lawyer will be there on time.” Kamuro didn’t even look back, walking away from under the tree with quick steps.
As she headed toward the school building, she could still feel the heat burning in her cheeks.
Kamiki, on the other hand, chuckled softly under his breath as he watched her rushed, embarrassed retreat.
He was in an exceptionally good mood.
Kamiki stopped watching Kamuro’s retreating figure.
Taking a deep breath, he checked the balance of points on his phone; he was suddenly craving an ice-cold cola.
Leaving the shade of the tree, he walked over to the sheltered area on the side of the school building where the vending machines were located.
However, as he approached the machines, he slowed his pace.
A rather peculiar scene was unfolding right in front of him.
A girl was standing directly before the vending machine.
She was just…
hovering there.
She wasn’t putting in any points, nor was she pressing any buttons.
She was simply staring at the digital screen with vacant eyes, completely motionless, as if she were actively trying to blend into the background and become invisible.
Kamiki stood a few paces behind her for a couple of minutes.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he watched her in silence.
The way she had completely detached herself from the surrounding world intrigued him.
Time passed, yet she still didn’t budge.
Finally, Kamiki cleared his throat softly.
The girl flinched, snapping around instantly.
When she saw Kamiki standing right behind her, her eyes grew as wide as saucers.
“Ah!” she let out a tiny shriek.
Within seconds, her face turned bright red.
She hurriedly scrambled back a few steps until her back was practically pressed against the wall.
Lowering her head, she tried to hide behind her long hair.
Kamiki observed her timid behavior, offering his most reassuring, gentle smile.
“If I’m not mistaken,” Kamiki said, his voice as smooth as velvet, “your name is Miki Yamamura.
Right?” The girl raised her head slightly, peering at him through the strands of her hair with startled eyes.
She was well aware of this boy’s immense popularity and overwhelming aura.
The idea of someone like him actually pronouncing her name felt completely impossible.
“Y-You…” Yamamura stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
“You know who I am?” Kamiki chuckled softly, tilting his head.
“Of course,” he said.
“How could I not know my own classmate?” Yamamura swallowed hard in disbelief.
Ever since the first day of school, she had genuinely believed that no one noticed her.
Her presence was so faint that she was certain even the teachers would eventually forget her name.
Yet, Shirogane Kamiki knew exactly who she was.
“I…
I thought I was invisible,” she murmured, immediately dropping her gaze back down to her shoes.
Kamiki took a half-step closer, his eyes scanning over her gently.
“How could that even be possible?” Kamiki asked, his tone absolutely captivating.
“One would have to be blind not to notice a girl as beautiful as you.” Yamamura gasped at his choice of words.
Her head snapped up, her eyes widening in utter shock as her cheeks burned furiously.
“I’m…
I’m beautiful?” she whispered.
She possessed zero self-confidence; she could never believe that anyone looking at the girl in the mirror would ever say such a thing.
“Of course,” Kamiki said, smiling as he locked eyes with her.
“Very much so.” Overwhelmed with embarrassment, Yamamura didn’t know what to do with herself.
She averted her eyes instantly, staring back down at her feet, her heart hammering violently against her ribs.
Kamiki turned to the vending machine, pulled out his student card, and tapped it against the scanner.
A digital beep echoed through the quiet space.
First, he selected an ice-cold cola for himself.
The heavy thud of the can dropping signified its delivery.
Without missing a beat, he tapped the screen again and selected another cola.
A second can clattered loudly into the dispenser slot.
Kamiki bent down, retrieved both cans, and kept one in his hand while offering the other to Yamamura with a polite, fluid gesture.
“Here you go,” Kamiki said.
Yamamura hesitantly reached out.
The moment the piercing cold of the metal can brushed against her fingers, she shivered slightly.
“Thank you,” she said in a hushed tone.
“But…
I had points.” “Don’t worry about it,” Kamiki said, taking a sip from his own can.
“Consider it a gift to celebrate our meeting.” Yamamura gripped the can tightly with both hands, pressing it against her chest.
Leaning his back against the vending machine, Kamiki assumed a relaxed posture.
“By the way,” he said, glancing at her sideways.
“What exactly were you doing here?
Were you planning to buy something?” Yamamura lowered her head again, tracing her fingers along the rim of the aluminum can before rubbing her fingertips together anxiously.
“Um…” she murmured, her voice so soft it was barely audible.
“I wasn’t going to buy anything.” “Oh?” Kamiki noted.
“Then why were you just waiting here?” Yamamura took a deep breath, looking hesitant to confess.
“I was listening to the sound of the vending machine,” she admitted.
“I see,” Kamiki said, nodding gently.
“It’s quite therapeutic, isn’t it?” At his words, Yamamura’s head snapped up again, her hair swaying around her shoulders.
For the first time, a wave of profound surprise and excitement sparked in her eyes.
“You…” Yamamura gasped.
“Do you think so too?” “Yes,” Kamiki replied, tuning in to the low, monotonous hum radiating from the machine’s cooling motor.
“It blocks out all the noise of the world.
Only this mechanical hum remains.
It makes you feel like you aren’t completely alone, yet safely tucked away at the same time.” Yamamura’s eyes practically sparkled.
For the first time in her life, someone didn’t think she was a freak.
For the first time, someone understood this quirky little detail of her inner world.
“Yes!” Yamamura exclaimed, her voice notably louder this time.
“That’s exactly it!
Nobody ever gets it.” “This sound…
it really calms me down.” “Whenever my surroundings get too noisy or I feel overwhelmed, listening to this steady mechanical hum helps clear my thoughts.” She paused for a brief moment, then added, “It feels…
it feels like something is keeping me company.” “It sounds like an interesting hobby.
But isn’t it a bit lonely to just listen to it all by yourself?” Miki Yamamura was left utterly speechless by his question.
Kamiki had hit the nail right on the head—she truly did feel incredibly lonely.
“Actually…
I’ve always been alone.
I haven’t had a single friend since I was a little girl.” “Why do you feel like you can’t make friends?” Miki Yamamura looked up, her eyes swirling with a complex mix of emotions.
“Because I don’t know how to talk to people.” “I’m terrified of saying the wrong thing, of being disliked, or being ridiculed if I dare to share my thoughts.” Kamiki lightly swirled the cola can in his hand, his gaze remaining fixed on her.
“But loneliness must be painful, too,” Kamiki said, his voice laced with what sounded like genuine sympathy.
“Isn’t it, Yamamura-san?” Yamamura paused at the question.
She squeezed the cold can tighter against her chest and slowly gave a small nod.
“Yes,” Yamamura whispered.
“Sometimes…
it hurts a lot.” “There’s absolutely no need for that,” Kamiki said, closing the distance between them by another step.
“Besides, it’s just like I said earlier.” Yamamura looked up at him.
“You are a very adorable girl,” Kamiki said, his lips curling into a gentle, warm smile.
“Anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend.” “I’m…
adorable?” Yamamura murmured, her cheeks flaring up in a blazing blush all over again.
“I really don’t think so.” “I am never wrong,” Kamiki stated with absolute confidence.
“In fact, I’ll be your very first friend.” Yamamura’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
“You?” she stammered.
“With me?” “Yes,” Kamiki said, taking another sip of his drink.
“Just remember, I’m a VIP member among your friends.” Yamamura couldn’t quite grasp the terminology.
“A VIP member?” she echoed.
“It means the most special one,” Kamiki said with a playful wink.
“From now on, everything is going to change.” Yamamura could only stare at him in a daze, her heart hammering wildly against her chest.
The most charismatic, attention-grabbing guy in the whole school wanted to be her friend.
This had to be a dream.
A dream far too beautiful to be real.
“Do you really…” Yamamura’s voice trembled.
“Do you really want to be friends…
with me?” “Absolutely,” Kamiki said, looking down at her from behind his flawless, charming mask.
“You aren’t alone anymore.” A warm sense of peace washed over Yamamura.
For the very first time in her life, she felt truly valued.
Shirogane Kamiki’s offer meant the absolute world to her.
Yet, Yamamura was entirely too naive.
She had no way of reading the thoughts swirling inside the boy’s mind.
As Kamiki looked at her painfully shy and innocent demeanor, his mind was busy making entirely different calculations.
Yamamura could never have guessed that Kamiki was already calculating the names of their future children.
The true intent hidden behind that seamless, perfect smile ran deeper than anything she could ever begin to fathom.
“Thank you, Shirogane-kun,” Yamamura said, instinctively bowing her head, a hint of barely suppressed joy coloring her tone.
“P-Please take good care of me…” The smile on Kamiki’s face grew even warmer.
“Yamamura-san, please take good care of me as well.
I mean…
we are considered friends now, aren’t we?” “Eh?
I suppose so, Shirogane-kun~” Miki Yamamura squeaked in reply.
“You can just call me Kamiki,” the boy said.
“After all, we’re friends now.” Hearing his request, Yamamura felt as though the air had been completely knocked out of her lungs.
Her chest heaved up and down rapidly.
Addressing him directly by his first name felt like an immense, insurmountable wall she had to climb.
“Ka…
Kamiki-kun,” Yamamura managed to say.
Uttering those syllables felt like she had exhaled every last bit of air left in her body.
Her lips trembled, and she blinked her eyes in sheer embarrassment.
Feeling incredibly vulnerable, a sudden defense mechanism kicked in.
With her cheeks still burning fiercely, she knitted her brows slightly to hide her sheer bashfulness.
She glared at Kamiki with a look of adorable, feigned annoyance.
“Y-You too…” Yamamura muttered, attempting to steel her voice.
“You can call me Miki, too.” Kamiki didn’t hesitate for a single fraction of a second at her sudden outburst.
“Miki-chan,” Kamiki said smoothly without a shred of reluctance, his velvet voice echoing softly along the corridor.
Hearing her name roll off his lips so effortlessly caused Yamamura to freeze all over again.
“Now we’re officially friends,” Kamiki continued, taking one last gulp of his cola.
He casually twirled the empty aluminum can between his fingers.
“I hope our bond lasts for eternity.” “Eternity?” Yamamura murmured.
The word felt incredibly heavy, carrying a profound weight.
“Yes,” Kamiki said, a deep, unfathomable, and mysterious glint flashing across his eyes.
“Like a very long, never-ending bond.” Yamamura felt even happier deep down upon hearing those words.
But there was no possible way for her to know that to Kamiki, the concept of “eternity” with a girl as faint as a ghost meant a lifetime of marriage.
Kamiki tossed the empty can with perfect precision, landing it squarely into a nearby recycling bin.
He then glanced down at his watch.
“Let’s head back to class now,” Kamiki said, his tone seamlessly shifting back into his disciplined student persona.
“Class is about to start.” “Ah, right,” Yamamura said hurriedly.
Holding the unopened can of cola tightly in her hands, she took a step forward.
“You can walk right beside me, Miki,” Kamiki noted, noticing that she was consciously trying to lag a few steps behind him.
“There’s no need for you to be invisible anymore.” Yamamura slowly caught up to his pace, and the two of them began walking side by side down the hallway.
As they approached the classroom door, Yamamura found herself looking forward to the next period with an overwhelming sense of excitement—something she had never experienced before in her entire life.