The corridor of the first-year building at Sobu High School.
"Yawn..."
Kitahara Akira let out a massive yawn, straightening his back against his chair. The lingering drowsiness from last night's emergency patrol still weighed slightly on his mind.
"Morning, Kato," Akira greeted the girl sitting at the desk right next to him.
"Morning, Kitahara-kun... um... did you injure your hands?" Kato Megumi pointed her index finger toward Akira’s palms, which were currently wrapped tightly in thick layers of white gauze, making them look exactly like a pair of oversized dumplings.
Akira raised his hands, which briefly resembled those of a mummified corpse, and let out a helpless chuckle. "Oh, you mean this? Yesterday afternoon while prepping dinner in the kitchen, I accidentally scalded my hands with boiling water. Don't worry though, I already iced them."
Right at that moment, Rikka and Yuta strolled into the classroom, making their way over to Akira's desk.
"Oh?!" Rikka’s eyes instantly ignited with pure, chuunibyou excitement. "The Shadow Monarch himself must have just engaged in an epic clash against the Lord of Flames last night to contest the throne of the mortal realm! And those wounds on your hands are the ultimate, undeniable proof!"
While spouting her imaginary lore, Rikka spun her phone screen around, thrusting it directly in front of Akira's face.
On the screen, a female news anchor was currently broadcasting an emergency report.
"It is reported that a severe arson incident occurred around midnight last night in the mountainous forest area on the outskirts of Chiba Prefecture. The scale of the fire spread rapidly, triggering catastrophic damage. One police officer has been confirmed dead at the scene. Authorities strictly advise all citizens to..."
'Crap, it looks like the scale of last night's battle was a bit too explosive,' Akira thought to himself, a flash of unease washing over him as he processed the news broadcast.
Yuta observed the bandages on Akira's hands with a gaze packed with genuine concern. "If it's a thermal burn, Akira, do you need some ointment? I have some homemade remedies for blisters at home that have proven to be pretty effective."
Akira offered a thin, reassuring smile. "Thanks a lot, Yuta. But the injury isn't actually that severe. It'll definitely heal on its own within a few days, so don't worry too much."
A few minutes before the morning bell rang, Akira was just about to reach into his desk drawer to pull out his history textbook when Shirogane Miyuki, sitting directly behind him, suddenly tapped his shoulder.
Akira turned his head back. "What's up, Miyuki?"
"There's something I need to discuss with you..." Miyuki hesitated, pausing mid-sentence as if weighing a heavy, delicate matter.
"Just say it, don't be formal."
Miyuki took a short breath. "The club that Hiratsuka-sensei forced you into the other day... it's called the Volunteer Club, right?"
Akira nodded, slightly bewildered by the direction of the conversation. "Yeah, why?"
"The Volunteer Club... is currently facing imminent disbandment."
"Hah? On what grounds?"
"By official regulations, a registered club requires a minimum of five active members, including the president, to be recognized by the academy. Up until now, the Student Council only extended the evaluation period due to Hiratsuka-sensei's rational arguments and the political influence of the Yukinoshita family."
Miyuki looked at Akira with a gaze full of guilt. "Next week is the absolute deadline for the final assessment. Unfortunately, the Volunteer Club currently only has four registered members. That’s why I had no choice but to approach you. I’m sorry, Akira... even though my status is the Student Council President, I can't do much to clear your club if the headcount remains deficient."
Akira tapped his fingers against the desk, trying to think rationally. "Don't sweat it, don't feel guilty. I'll find a way out of this."
In this combined fictional world, it seemed the political weight of the Yukinoshita family at Sobu High School had weakened significantly, allowing an incident like a club disbandment to actually surface. Given Yukinoshita Yukino's rigid, prideful personality, it was virtually impossible for her to actively move around recruiting new members.
'I'll discuss it with her during club hours. Worst-case scenario, I'll just find a few background students to register as ghost members to temporarily meet the quota,' Akira thought.
Miyuki leaned forward again, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Shinomiya actually knows you're part of that club. She doesn't want things to end badly, so she asked me to deliver this message to you so you can notify Yukinoshita immediately."
Akira flashed a broad grin, patting his friend's shoulder reassuringly. "Got it. Pass my thanks along to Shinomiya. And as for you, Miyuki, don't worry... I'll definitely be the ultimate wingman to bring you two together later."
Shirogane Miyuki's handsome face instantly flushed a vivid crimson, and he quickly buried his embarrassed face back into his textbook.
***
Perhaps because of the state of his heavily bandaged hands, the teachers completely avoided calling Akira's name to stand up or answer equations on the blackboard throughout the morning periods. Even Hiratsuka Shizuka snuck over to his desk during recess to ensure his condition was stable.
The moment the lunch bell rang, Akira placed his bento box on the desk using both hands. The excessively thick gauze completely restricted his finger movements, causing him to repeatedly fail at pinning down food items with his chopsticks.
Kato Megumi, who had been quietly observing the youth's struggle from the side, finally leaned forward. "Kitahara-kun, with your hands injured like that, eating must be incredibly difficult. Do you need a hand?"
Akira turned, slightly startled. "Eh...? How exactly are you planning to help me?"
Kato, without a shred of expression, directly took custody of the chopsticks from Akira's clumsy grip, pinning down a piece of meat from inside the bento. "Let me feed you," Kato said with a perfectly calm countenance, as if uttering those extraordinary words was the most normal thing in the world.
"This... isn't this a bit inappropriate? There are quite a few people in class who love to gossip," Akira whispered, a sudden flush of red warming his cheeks. Having maintained single status across two entire lifetimes, an intimate act of this caliber definitely made his heart race. On the other hand, he was also anxious about malicious rumors regarding Kato spreading across the academy.
"It's fine. After all, I'm the type of student whose presence is virtually invisible." Kato guided the piece of meat directly in front of Akira's lips. "So far, aside from Kitahara-kun and Takanashi-kun, I don't think a single person in this classroom actually remembers my name."
"Don't talk like that... Kato," Akira's voice softened, a rare spark of an uncharted warmth settling in his chest.
"But it's the reality. Being overlooked by others has been normal for me since childhood. At the very least, only Kitahara-kun has always taken the initiative to notice and greet me first." Kato offered a thin, remarkably sweet smile.
Staring into the genuine spark in the girl's eyes, Akira suddenly felt a warm tug inside his chest. He cleared his throat lightly to mask his awkwardness. "Alright... Kato, if you don't mind, how about we enjoy this lunch up on the rooftop instead? The atmosphere is much quieter there."
"Sure."
The two quickly packed up their bentos and made their way toward the classroom exit together.
"Ah, Akira-kun! I heard from the others that your hands got injured, are you okay?" Yuigahama Yui suddenly materialized from the corridor, greeting them with a visibly worried expression.
"It's not a big deal, don't worry."
"Are you two heading over to have lunch at the Volunteer Club room? Yukinon is already there, you know!" Yuigahama invited with pure enthusiasm.
Akira cast a sideways glance toward Kato, who stood quietly beside him, and offered a thin smile. "Oh, no need, Yuigahama-san. I actually have other plans for lunch today."
"Eh?!" Yuigahama instantly flinched, her eyes blinking repeatedly as she finally registered the presence of another figure standing next to Akira. "I'm sorry! I'm so incredibly sorry! I completely failed to notice there was someone else right next to you this whole time, um... um..."
"My name is Kato," Megumi reminded her in her signature flat tone.
Yuigahama laughed embarrassedly, scratching her side-bun. "Ah, Kato-san! My bad! In that case, since you two already have your own agenda, I won't interrupt any further. See you later at the club room, Akira-kun!"
"See you," Akira replied.
Yuigahama stepped back, then walked over to Hikigaya Hachiman’s desk. "Hey, Hikitani-kun... do you think Akira-kun and Kato-san are actually in *that* sort of special relationship?" Yuigahama immediately initiated her gossip session, packed with curiosity.
Hachiman, who was slumping over his desk, merely cast a lazy glance toward Akira and Kato’s backs as they slowly vanished past the doorway. "Who knows... your guess is as good as mine..."
***
Akira and Kato walked side-by-side through the quiet corridor leading toward the school rooftop stairs.
"Kitahara-kun seems to be incredibly popular among girls," Kato noted, opening up a conversation in a flat tone.
Akira scratched his cheek. "Really? Seems pretty average to me."
"There's me, Yuigahama-san, Takanashi-san, your club president Yukinoshita-san, even Shinomiya-san from the Student Council... and those are just the few names I happen to know about."
Akira reflexively coughed hard upon hearing the sequence of names rattled off so precisely. "Cough... that just proves I have decent social skills as a transfer student, right?"
Kato halted her steps briefly on the stairs, throwing out a sudden question that felt incredibly hazardous. "Kitahara-kun, have you ever harbored a dream of building a harem?"
'Danger! This is a lethal trap!' The threat assessment alarm inside Akira's head instantly detonated.
Akira forced a smile that looked as natural as possible. "Eh, Kato... why the sudden absurd question?"
"I accidentally read an article on my phone yesterday. It stated that most teenage boys who find themselves surrounded by multiple beautiful girls simultaneously will naturally start fantasizing about a harem." Kato stared straight into Akira’s eyes with a gaze that was entirely unreadable. "Does Kitahara-kun frequently think about the same thing?"
"How... how could I?! I am a devout believer in the cult of Pure Love! Besides, I don't actually know that many beautiful girls. Kato, you must be joking, right?" Akira laughed renyah, acting as cheerful as possible to mask the cold sweat starting to seep down his spine.
The two stepped up the remaining stairs toward the exit door.
"Is that so? My apologies for the misunderstanding then, Kitahara-kun." Kato turned her face away.
'Phew~ Safe...' Akira let out a massive sigh of relief internally. He immediately extended his hand, pushing the iron rooftop door open with brute force until it swung wide.
However, the moment the door parted, a beautiful upperclassman wearing signature long black stockings was standing right against the rooftop railing. Hearing the door slide open, the girl slowly spun her frame around, locking her gaze onto Akira with a thin smile packed with an alluring charm.
"Oh... if it isn't my incredibly adorable underclassman?"
Kato Megumi instantly halted her tracks. Without uttering a single syllable, she slowly swiveled her head around, staring at Akira with a perfectly flat facial expression that seemed to ask: *'So, what was that you were just saying about not knowing many beautiful girls?'*
Akira swallowed hard with immense difficulty, feeling the surrounding atmosphere violently plummet into absolute awkwardness. "Kasumigaoka-senpai... what exactly brings you to a place like this?"
"Hmm? I intentionally came up here to look for location inspiration for the continuation of my new novel," Kasumigaoka Utaha replied as she folded her arms beneath her chest, shifting her sharp, piercing gaze toward Kato Megumi. "What about you? Enjoying a rooftop lunch date with your girlfriend?"
"It's not like that, Senpai. Kato is just my friend," Akira explained quickly, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.
Kato Megumi stepped forward, offering a polite bow toward the upperclassman in front of them. "Hello, Kasumigaoka-senpai. My name is Kato Megumi, Kitahara-kun's classmate."
"Kasumigaoka Utaha." Utaha’s response was remarkably concise, sharp, and directly to the point. She shifted her beautiful gaze back onto Megumi with a playful glint. "Kato-san, you should be extra careful when you're alone with this perverted underclassman next to you."
Akira’s eyes widened instantly. "Hey, why are you making it sound like that?!"
"Of course she needs to be careful. After all, on our LINE chats, my dear underclassman is quite famous for his ambition to become a harem king," Utaha said, flashing a highly annoying, amused smile at Akira. "Who knows, you might be one of his current hunting targets."
"Eh?! Really?" Kato Megumi’s initially flat expression gradually shifted into an incredibly cold, dangerous stare as her eyes locked onto Akira.
"Ehem... Senpai, please stop spreading weird rumors. I am just a perfectly ordinary high school student, how could I possibly possess that kind of capability?" Akira tried his absolute best to salvage the bleak situation before his dignity shattered completely.
"Oh~ is that really true?" Utaha, however, seemed entirely delighted to pour more gasoline onto the fire. "And yet, this perverted underclassman of mine once argued fiercely with me on LINE. He even brashly claimed to be a man who could handle 'seven times a night' and challenged me to see what he’s got."
"Seven times a night, is it... Kitahara-kun, it turns out your physical stamina is truly impressive." Megumi’s eyes slowly grew glassy, staring at Akira with an entirely unreadable, chilling look.
'Dammit! What on earth am I supposed to do when a stupid internet chat secret is suddenly exposed face-to-face in front of a girl in real life?! Somebody give me a survival guide right now!'
Even though the temperature on the rooftop that afternoon hovered around the low twenties, Akira could feel an icy, bone-chilling draft slicing directly down his spine.
"Hahaha~ Kato, your bento is going to get completely cold if you leave it like that. Come on, let’s eat first!" Akira frantically attempted to steer the topic away from danger.
"Um." Megumi gave a small nod, then shifted her gaze to look at Utaha. "Kasumigaoka-senpai, won't you join us for lunch? I feel like... the two of us have quite a lot of interesting things to discuss!"
Utaha let out a soft chuckle, casually waving her hand as she caught sight of Akira’s pale, pleading face begging for mercy through his eyes. "I think I’ll pass for this time. You two have fun on your little date. I'll be leaving now."
Once Kasumigaoka Utaha swept out of the rooftop area, the two of them walked over to a long bench tucked in the corner, sitting down side-by-side.
"Kitahara-kun..."
Akira slowly pivoted his head, staring at Megumi with a deeply anxious heart.
"It’s time for lunch."
Catching sight of Megumi thrusting a spoon piled high with food drenched in thick tomato sauce right in front of his face, Akira swallowed hard with immense difficulty. He could only close his eyes in complete resignation, opening his mouth to accept the lethal spoonful of judgment.
"How exactly did Kitahara-kun and Kasumigaoka-senpai end up knowing each other?" Megumi inquired in an incredibly flat, calm voice as she began scooping her own portion of the bento.
Akira swallowed his food with great effort before responding. "She's actually the author of my absolute favorite light novel. Back when her volume was facing imminent cancellation due to terrible sales, I frequently sent her encouraging messages and offered some tactical plot suggestions. From there, our interaction gradually grew closer, until we eventually swapped LINE IDs and started chatting casually."
"I see. A development that sounds remarkably like something straight out of a light novel," Megumi commented in her signature flat tone. "So... does Kitahara-kun like Kasumigaoka-senpai?"
Akira flinched, staring at the girl beside him in utter confusion. "Kato, why on earth would you have a thought like that?"
"Kasumigaoka-senpai is the ultimate ideal type that every single boy in this academy adores, both in terms of her physical proportions and her visual appearance. Her fan base at school is massive. Kitahara-kun is the only person who is that close to her. Isn't it only natural that you'd want to take advantage of that closeness to make her your girlfriend?"
Akira let out a short sigh, leaning his back against the bench. "Hmm... having her as an upperclassman to exchange thoughts with is incredibly fun. But when it comes to actual dating, to be completely honest, I have zero interest in those kinds of exhausting matters."
"In that case... what specific type of girl does Kitahara Akira actually like?"
Akira flashed a mysterious smile toward the girl next to him. "It’s a secret."
The two continued their casual banter until the contents of their bento boxes were entirely cleared out.
Akira reached into his bag, pulling out a chilled can of fruit juice and offering it to Megumi. "Kato, want some juice?"
"Thank you, Kitahara-kun." Megumi accepted the can, popped the tab open, and took a slow sip of the cold beverage.
"You're welcome, Kato. I'm the one who should thank you so much for your help this afternoon. If you ever run into any difficulties in the future, please don't hesitate to ask for my assistance."
Kato Megumi stared down at the juice can in her grip for a few moments, seemingly weighing something within her mind. "In that case... I’d like to ask Kitahara-kun to prepare a lunch bento box for me next week."
Akira instantly locked a confident, broad grin onto his face. "No problem at all! Do you have any specific requests regarding the menu?"
"Zero requirements. Kitahara-kun is free to make absolutely anything you like."
"Hehe, just you wait and see then, Kato. I happen to be highly confident in my culinary skills."
"Yes, I shall be looking forward to it immensely," Megumi replied, her lips curving into a remarkably thin, sweet smile.