Shiro Sakamaki had already lost count of how many tis he'd requested leave from school lately—although, to be fair, so of those were at the request of Hiratsuka-sensei herself.
"Well, I've had so things to deal with outside recently, so I've been taking leave more often. It should calm down soon," he explained, casually tacking on a silent "probably" in his mind.
Nino scoffed. "Who knows what you're really doing out there? You're always vanishing without a trace. It's suspicious."
Though she voiced her doubts, Nino had already seen a side of Shiro that made her suspect his absences weren't just about slacking off. Still, she knew better than to say too much without a cue—it wasn't her place.
Well...except for yesterday.
Ichika, her ever-mischievous older sister, smiled with barely hidden mischief. "Ara, Nino, since when did you care so much about where Shiro-kun disappears to?"
Yotsuba chid in with cheerful curiosity, "Yeah, I thought Nino had a problem with him?"
Miku took a sip of her drink, muttering flatly, "There's definitely sothing fishy going on here."
Itsuki blinked. "Wait... Shiro-kun, are you and Nino...?"
"How is that even possible!?" Nino shot back, her face flushing a deep red. "Who would like this guy?! Don't joke around like that!"
Despite her loud denial, her red cheeks and evasive eyes told a different story. Especially as her mind wandered back to that night—to Shiro's firm figure and confident gaze. She shook her head quickly.
Across from her, Shiro watched Ichika's fox-like grin grow wider as she stirred the pot and ducked out of view. He knew better than to dig himself deeper in this situation, so he simply focused on eating like it was a sport. His goal: finish and escape.
Under the teasing of the Nakano quintuplets, Shiro scarfed down his lunch and made a hasty retreat back to class.
Back in the classroom, Yukinoshita Yukino had already finished her homade lunch and was calmly sitting in her seat. As Shiro entered, he placed a can of coffee on her desk without a word, then went back to his seat and resud writing his novel.
His silent gesture didn't go unnoticed. The other students, still curious about their new classmate, kept their eyes on Yukino, waiting for her reaction. Many were hoping she'd reject Shiro coldly—after all, it would be satisfying to see the arrogant exchange student get shut down.
Unfortunately for them, Yukino didn't oblige. She wasn't particularly fond of Shiro, but she wasn't about to make a scene. More importantly, she knew he was her sister Haruno's boyfriend—soon to be family, whether she liked it or not.
Without a word, she cracked open the can and took a sip.
The tension in the room deflated. One particular student, the sa one Yukino had shut down earlier, looked absolutely livid. With a scowl, he slamd his desk and stord out of the classroom. To him, her quiet acceptance of Shiro's coffee was like saying you don't matter.
Shiro sighed. That's probably going to be a problem later.
Just then, a ssage buzzed on his phone—Haruno had sent a selfie, dressed smartly in business attire at work.
Shiro: [Nice photo. Looking sharp. Keep it up!]
Haruno: [Stop flattering , seriously. Listen, Yukino's starting at your school today. You know how prickly she is—please watch over her.]
Shiro: [Not that I mind, but she seems to have a serious grudge against .]
Haruno: [...]
---
Flashback: Yukino's Forced Transfer
Haruno explained how their mother had forced Yukino to transfer to Shuchiin Academy, hoping she'd finally fall in line. The Yukinoshita family had chosen Haruno to carry on their legacy, and Yukino couldn't keep avoiding her responsibilities.
To that end, their mother had even cut off Yukino's living expenses.
Concerned that Yukino's attitude would cause friction, Haruno relied on Shiro to help smooth things over.
Shiro: [Hey, don't pin it all on . Besides, if she's the family heir, she should learn to shoulder the responsibilities too.]
He said it with ease, never once considering how many tis his own older brother had to clean up after him.
Ironically, his brother, the official heir to the Sakamaki family, was relieved by Shiro's lack of interest in the family business. Shiro had always been talented—too talented, really. If he ever competed for the position, it would only bring chaos.
But that wasn't Shiro's path. In this life, all he wanted was to be a carefree rich guy.
Haruno: [If Yukino were half as mature as you, I'd be out of a job.]
Shiro: [Why don't you just marry into our family? Kill two birds with one stone.]
Haruno: [Ha! If I did that, your mother would fly over and bury you herself.]
Shiro: [True. She'd definitely bring a shovel.]
He updated her on the day's events, and after a pause, Haruno replied:
Haruno: [Take care of Yukino. Don't go out of your way, but don't let her get bullied either.]
Shiro: [Sure. But what's my reward?]
Haruno: [I bought a new lipstick this morning. Want to try it?]
Shiro's eyes glead. Now that's what I'm talking about.
---
When the afternoon bell rang, Shiro ended the chat, packed up his manuscript, and headed toward the parking lot.
Shuchiin didn't have many classes in the afternoon—mostly club ti. As a mber of the Hocoming Club (i.e., no club), he had his freedom.
But freedom ca with a price.
As soon as he exited the school gates, a group of rough-looking guys blocked his path. Their flashy clothes and dyed hair made it obvious—they were bosozoku or low-level yakuza.
Ah. Called it. Shiro thought as they led him toward an empty warehouse near the parking area.
Inside stood the hot-headed student from earlier, now looking smug as ever.
"So this is the punk exchange student who thinks he runs Shuchiin," the guy sneered. "Ti soone knocked you down a peg."
Shiro cracked his neck lazily, his expression calm.
"Yare yare... It's always the clowns who scream the loudest."
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