The schedule for the next few days was set in stone.
Tuesday through Thursday meant attending classes without fail, cooking dinner with practiced ease, and playing the role of Auntie Eri’s flawless little domestic angel.
As for the Service Club?
He simply did not go.
Whenever his route took him past the special building, his footsteps never even slowed.
During one break, he crossed paths with Shizuka Hiratsuka smoking in the hallway.
The woman shot him a deeply meaningful look through the haze of nicotine.
He merely returned it with an innocent, angelic smile before drifting away down the corridor.
Fast, accurate, ruthless.
On the first day of this sudden radio silence, Yukinoshita Yukino would likely remain completely unruffled.
However, playing hard to get was entirely about mastering the rhythm.
The process hardly mattered; the final result was everything.
Eriri, on the other hand, spent the last few days sneaking glances at him during class.
Every time he let his peripheral vision sweep her way, that golden twin-tailed head snapped back to the blackboard at the speed of light, the tips of her ears burning as red as a cooked shrimp.
Tōhō Getsukai ignored her.
The timing was not right.
If you scatter too much bait, the fish will lose interest.
This principle applied universally to all beautiful girls.
Friday arrived.
At exactly two-thirty in the afternoon, the final bell echoed across the Sobu High School campus.
Tōhō Getsukai packed his bag and stepped into the hallway, only to be intercepted by three girls begging for a quick photo.
He offered a polite, practiced smile, tilted his head just the right amount, and flashed a peace sign.
Three camera shutters clicked in rapid succession.
Duty fulfilled, he turned and left the grounds.
Back in the quiet of his apartment, he stood before his open wardrobe, reached deep into the back, and pulled out a specific set of clothes.
A classic sailor-style JK uniform featuring a dark blue collar scarf.
The top was a crisp white short-sleeved blouse, paired with a pleated skirt tailored to fall exactly ten centimeters above the knee.
But the true focal point lay in the socks.
He bypassed his usual black over-the-knee stockings.
Today called for a change in tactics.
He slipped on a pair of short white socks.
They were pure, unblemished white, the cuffs resting precisely one finger-width above his ankle bones, leaving the entire length of his lower legs completely exposed to the air.
Tōhō Getsukai completed a slow half-turn in front of the full-length mirror.
His long silver hair cascaded over his shoulders, contrasting beautifully with the dark blue scarf that made his collarbone look incredibly clean and sharp.
Beneath the hem of the pleated skirt, his legs were displayed without a hint of reservation.
From thigh to knee, down to the calf and ankle, his skin was so pale and smooth it practically caught the room’s light.
The tops of his feet were delicate, his ten toes curling slightly inside his small, polished leather shoes.
Even without looking down, he knew the tips of his toes were a ridiculously tender shade of pink.
He examined his reflection for two silent seconds, calculating the sheer lethality of the look.
‘Mm.
Nuke-level.’
It was time to head out.
Teitan High School, three forty-five in the afternoon.
Fifteen minutes remained until the dismissal bell.
A silver-haired youth stood on the sidewalk near the main gate.
Or rather, in the eyes of every single passerby, a stunning silver-haired girl leaned casually against the roadside railing, waiting for someone.
A gentle breeze swept past, lifting the edge of the pleated skirt before letting it flutter back down.
The short white socks caught the afternoon sunlight, making those exposed legs look as flawless and unreal as a master painting.
Every Teitan boy who walked past snapped his neck to look.
The bolder ones slowed their pace, pulling out their phones, only to sheepishly shove them back into their pockets when their courage failed them.
Two boys pedaled past on bicycles.
One stared a second too long, his handlebars jerked wildly to the side, and he plowed straight into a metal trash can.
Clang.
Tōhō Getsukai did not even blink.
His gaze remained fixed on his phone screen, watching a new upload from a popular beauty blogger.
‘This concealer technique is terrible, it is already caking,’he critiqued silently, dismissing the video.’Not even half as good as mine.’
A small crowd of boys gradually formed a semi-circle near the Teitan gates, maintaining a safe, reverent distance of five meters.
Frantic whispers broke out.
“Who is that silver-haired girl…
is she from Teitan?
I have never seen her before.”
“Are you blind!
That is Tōhō Getsukai!
The one who transferred out last year!”
“Tōhō Getsukai?
You mean the legendary prettiest person since the school was founded—”
“Yes, exactly!
Wait, no, he…
he is a guy.”
“Do you even believe that when you say it out loud?”
“I do not want to believe it either, but his family register literally says male…”
Ring-a-ling—
The dismissal bell finally rang out.
The heavy school gates opened wide, and a flood of students poured onto the street.
Tōhō Getsukai slipped his phone into his pocket and lifted his chin.
His eyes accurately locked onto two familiar figures handling the crowd.
Ran Mouri walked in front, her signature ponytail swaying, followed closely by the short-haired Sonoko.
The two were deep in conversation, completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere at the gate.
That was until Sonoko caught a flash of silver in her peripheral vision.
“Ran!
Ran, Ran, Ran!” Sonoko grabbed Ran’s arm, her entire body jerking as if she had just grabbed a live wire.
“The gate!
Look at the gate!”
Ran followed her pointing finger.
Silver hair, a fluttering pleated skirt, short white socks, and pristine leather shoes.
The person leaning against the railing, bathed in the afternoon backlight, offered a slight, elegant lift of the chin in their direction.
Ran paused for exactly one beat before breaking into a trot.
“Sister Tōhō!”
Reaching his side, Ran naturally extended her hands and hooked her arms firmly around Tōhō Getsukai’s right arm.
Her fingers locked into the crook of his elbow, pressing her side against him as she tugged him close.
The motion was incredibly smooth, a textbook display of territorial claiming.
She turned her head, her gaze sweeping over the lingering crowd of boys.
She did not say a single word.
She did not need to.
The message in her eyes was crystal clear.
What are you looking at?
Have you never seen a beautiful girl with her sister before?
Tōhō Getsukai looked down at the girl clinging to his arm.
‘Ms.
Ran Mouri, your protective instincts are somehow even smoother than Auntie Eri’s.’
“Why are you wearing this today!” Sonoko rushed over, her eyes scanning Tōhō Getsukai from head to toe before getting completely stuck on those short white socks for three full seconds.
“White socks!
The short style!
Your calves are completely exposed!
Sister Tōhō, are you planning to murder people today!”
“To be precise, I plan to kill all of Teitan,” Tōhō Getsukai said, idly twirling a strand of silver hair around his finger.
“What, does it not look good?”
“It looks so good I want to call the police!”
Sonoko circled him like a frantic shark, her eyes darting wildly between his exposed legs and his flawless face.
Eventually, she settled on staring at his legs.
Then she snapped back to his face.
A violent war between heaven and hell erupted inside her mind.
‘Sonoko, calm down, he is a guy.
A guy!
XY chromosomes!”But these legs…
this face…
this pure, devastating combination of white socks and leather shoes…”I am about to be bent.
What do I do?
Should I just accept it and get bent?”No!
He is technically a boy, so liking him is still straight!’
“Sonoko, you have been staring at Sister Tōhō’s legs for fifteen seconds now,” Ran reminded her with a completely deadpan expression.
“My eyes have a mind of their own!”
Tōhō Getsukai gently patted the hand Ran had wrapped around his arm.
“Let us go.
Did you two not want to buy skincare and sunscreen?
It is getting late.”
Ran nodded happily, though she made absolutely no move to loosen her grip.
As the trio walked away from the Teitan gates, a collective, muffled wail of despair rose from the boys left behind.
Tōhō Getsukai turned a deaf ear to the tragedy.
Only the voices of beautiful girls were worthy of occupying his attention.
Beika Town Central Mall, third-floor women’s clothing section.
“How about this one?” Ran held up a lotus-root pink one-piece swimsuit, her eyes shining with anticipation.
“Is your swimsuit not already prepared?”
“I just want to take a look!”
Tōhō Getsukai gave the garment a single, sweeping glance and shook his head.
“That one-piece covers far too much.
Your waist-to-hip ratio is the literal golden ratio.
Covering it up is a complete waste of your figure.
Switch to a two-piece.”
Ran flushed a deep shade of red and hurriedly shoved the swimsuit back onto the rack.
“Then…
what about this one?” Sonoko held up a fierce leopard-print bikini, grinning widely.
“Sonoko, you are the esteemed daughter of the Suzuki Financial Group, not a mama-san working the night shift in Ginza.
Put it down.”
“Hahaha, you got scolded!” Ran laughed so hard she slapped her own thigh.
Tōhō Getsukai stepped past them, gliding along the aisles.
In less than two minutes, his hands darted out, pulling two specific sets from the racks.
For Ran, he presented a light blue floral two-piece.
The top featured a ruffled bandeau design, paired with high-waisted bikini bottoms.
“Blue complements your natural skin tone, the ruffles will accentuate your shoulder line, and the high-waisted style will artificially elongate your leg proportions.
Go try it on.”
For Sonoko, he held out a goose-yellow athletic two-piece.
The top used crisscross straps, matched with a pair of sleek boy-leg shorts.
“You look significantly better in an athletic style rather than a purely sexy one.
The yellow matches your hair color perfectly, and the strap design will highlight your collarbones.”
The two girls stood frozen, staring at the swimsuits in their hands.
A second later, they both spun around and practically sprinted into the fitting rooms.
Three minutes passed before the curtains slid open.
Ran stepped out in the light blue floral set, looking like she was entirely legs from the waist down.
Sonoko followed in the goose-yellow athletic style, the cut perfectly framing her firm, slender waist and flat abdomen.
“Perfect.”
“Sister Tōhō, how do you know absolutely everything!” Sonoko exclaimed, happily pinching the crisscross straps of her top.
“Because I have invested more energy into fashion than a normal man would in his entire lifetime.”
“Haha, what the heck does that mean!”
With the swimsuits secured, they moved to the cosmetics section.
Ran picked up a brightly colored sunscreen spray from a brand currently trending all over the internet.
“This one has been really popular lately—”
Tōhō Getsukai reached out, smoothly plucking the bottle from her grip.
He flipped it over, his eyes scanning the fine print on the back.
“Alcohol is listed as the third ingredient.
Your skin is sensitive.
If you use this, you will be covered in red patches by the end of the day after baking in the sun.”
He set the spray back on the display and pulled a different, more understated tube from a lower shelf.
“Take this one.
Physical sunscreen, zinc oxide formula, zero alcohol, zero fragrance.
It is waterproof for forty minutes.
Both of you should use this.”
Ran and Sonoko exchanged a long, meaningful look.
“Sister Tōhō, were you a famous beauty blogger in your past life?”
“My past life, huh…
that is hard to say.” Tōhō Getsukai casually tossed the high-end sunscreen into their shopping basket.
“In this life, I am just an ordinary boy with a completely normal orientation.”
“Okay, Sister!” the two girls chimed in perfect unison.
‘You two really did not hear a single word I just said, did you?’
The sunscreen was sorted.
The shopping basket quickly filled with wide-brimmed sun hats, aloe vera gel for after-sun repair, and waterproof phone pouches, every single item carefully hand-picked by Tōhō Getsukai.
The two beautiful girls were relegated to merely nodding and expressing their endless admiration throughout the entire process.
Tōhō Getsukai carried the heavy shopping bags, walking a half-step ahead as he silently calculated his expected system gains for the upcoming weekend.
A beach retreat.
Applying sunscreen to their backs.
Adjusting their swimsuit straps.
Perhaps even a late-night, intimate chat before bed.
Every single one of those actions qualified as a girlfriend-level intimate interaction recognized by his system.
The rewards were undoubtedly going to overflow.
Just as a satisfied smile touched his lips, a piercing scream echoed from behind him.
“Sister Tōhō!
Ran!
Look!
Look at that!”
Sonoko thrust her finger straight toward the far end of the polished hallway.
A high-end women’s shoe counter had just opened its doors, and the bright spotlights in the display window were illuminating a row of brand-new leather shoes.
simplified uppers, delicate hand-stitching, and incredibly elegant curves along the arch.
Sonoko was already dragging Ran toward the glowing display.
She threw a frantic look over her shoulder and shouted down the hall.
“Sister Tōhō, come here quickly!
That pair of shoes was definitely custom-made for your feet!”