After that, she launched her attack, armed with her ultimate move. (Please keep reading!)

The boy stood beside the classroom podium, silently gazing at the two names written in the lower right corner of the blackboard, lost in thought.

Looking back, he recalled that when they were still elementary students, a similar scene had played out: another mischievous boy had used chalk to draw a heart around their names, teasing them. Tsukimi Jinguuji only remembered being furious, getting into a fight with that boy.

On the way home, the girl had asked him, downcast, whether he disliked her. At that time, Tsukimi Jinguuji, still young and unsure, had no idea how to respond, embarrassed and angry, and had run home alone. When his mother questioned the bruises on his face, he stubbornly insisted he’d merely fallen. It was only later, hearing the full story from the girl’s mother, that his own mother laughed for a long time.

In any case, just those two simple names stirred up a flood of childhood memories.

He picked up the eraser and wiped clean all the formulas left behind by the previous teacher, then returned to his seat.

It was now break time. The classroom door suddenly slid open, and Mr. Hasebe, holding a stack of textbooks, appeared at the threshold.

“Who’s on duty this week?”

After asking, he glanced at the two names in the corner of the blackboard.

“Jinguuji and Sakura Kōji, all right, you two come with me.”

Tsukimi Jinguuji glanced at Sakura Kōji Sasa, who was chatting with friends, then slowly rose and followed Mr. Hasebe out of the classroom.

Afterward, Tsukimi Jinguuji and Sakura Kōji Sasa went to an empty first-floor classroom, just vacated after a lesson, and carried stacks of beakers and test tubes up to the chemistry equipment room on the third floor of the old school building.

As they walked along the first-floor corridor, students who recognized Tsukimi Jinguuji cast surprised looks their way, asking curiously about the short-haired beauty at his side.

“Watch your step,” Jinguuji warned.

“I know, don’t treat me like an idiot.”

Normally, these two never interacted openly at school in front of others. But being on duty was unavoidable, and besides, no one would eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Hey! Isn’t that Jinguuji-senpai? Good morning!”

A familiar voice rang out. The boy intended to ignore it, but his childhood friend, at the mention of “Jinguuji,” paused and turned to look.

Her first impression was simply petite.

Height, face, chest—everything was exquisitely and brilliantly small. Like some fantastical creature from another dimension, her sparkling eyes brimmed with curiosity about the world, as if she might one day stand atop an overpass and shout to the night sky her wish to become human.

“Morning, little traitor,” Jinguuji replied calmly.

“Don’t call me a little animal! I have the majestic name Yomiya Yō! Are you bullying me, senpai?” The girl stood with hands on her hips, looking inexplicably proud.

She didn’t deny being a “traitor,” Jinguuji thought.

“It’s just that, from where I’m standing, the angle is the same as when I look at my cat.”

---

“We’re on the same level as cats?! Hehe~~”

“I don’t understand how you can laugh about that.”

“Because cats are adorable, aren’t they?”

Well… they certainly are.

“Jinguuji…” Sasa, who hadn’t managed to join the conversation, took the opportunity to speak, not calling his name as usual in front of Yomiya Yō.

Understanding, Jinguuji said to Yomiya, “We’ve got tasks assigned by the teacher, so we’ll leave it at that for now.”

The petite girl glanced at the wooden crate of beakers Jinguuji was carrying, then nodded in realization.

“It’s my fault for holding you up, so I won’t bother you anymore. See you after school, senpai, bye~”

“Ah, bye to the athletic club senpai too~”

Like a storm, the energetic junior came and went in a flash, vanishing from Jinguuji’s sight in an instant.

In the connecting corridor to the old school building, no other students lingered; the surroundings were much quieter.

“Tsukimi, who was that child?”

“Hm? That was Yomiya from first year. I’m not very close to her, we’ve only met a few times.”

“But she seemed quite familiar with you.”

“Not everyone is as fond of solitude as I am. There are plenty of outgoing types.”

“Do you like being alone?”

“It’s certainly easier for me than being surrounded by people.”

“Heeeey~~” The girl’s voice stretched out, tinged with disbelief.

“What kind of reaction is that?”

“Nothing, just wondering if you might be interested in that junior.”

“Hah? Do I look like someone who’d go after kids?”

“I worry, you know. Even though you say you enjoy solitude, you definitely prefer being around girls.”

“Of course. I like pretty girls. No shame in that,” Jinguuji replied bluntly.

“See?”

“But I’m not into little girls.”

“In any case, you mustn’t ever make a move on juniors,” Sasa said, raising her voice in warning.

“You’ve got zero trust in me.”

“That’s because you’re such a flirt.”

“I’ve decided not to be a playboy anymore.”

“So you mean you want to be serious about dating?” Sasa glanced at him sideways.

---

“I plan to be a model student, nothing more.”

“No romance?”

“Not even a dog would bother.”

Sakura Kōji Sasa let out a meaningful, drawn-out “hm~~~,” and the two walked in silence for a while.

“By the way, there’s something that junior said that bothered me.”

“Which part?”

“She told you, ‘See you after school.’”

...

...

As the bell rang to signal the end of the day, Tsukimi Jinguuji grabbed his bag and immediately opened the back door of the classroom.

He looked at the two girls standing left and right, like guardians of the gates at Class 2A, and sighed, “I knew it.”

Behind him, Sakura Kōji Sasa quietly watched as he left with the two girls, disappearing from her sight.

As expected, he arrived at the student council room on the fourth floor of the old school building. Hoshinomori Hoshino leaned close to Yomiya Yō and whispered a few words, after which Yomiya left the council room.

As the heavy door closed with a thud, only Tsukimi Jinguuji and Hoshinomori Hoshino remained.

He glanced around the room, settled comfortably on the sofa, and looked at the smiling student council president.

Today, he was curious to see what new tricks his former girlfriend might pull.

“Jinguuji,” she said, smiling.

“Just tea, please.”

“I haven’t said I’d serve tea yet.”

“I imagine the president wouldn’t begrudge a bit of tea leaves.”

“You certainly know me well.”

Jinguuji smiled faintly.

Yet, the girl didn’t brew tea for him. Instead, she sat gracefully across from him, gently brushing aside her sky-blue hair, exuding calm and elegance.

“Perhaps, Jinguuji, you know me better than I know myself.”

Jinguuji remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Hoshinomori Hoshino chuckled softly, took out a small, exquisite notebook, and placed it on the tea table between them, slowly sliding it forward.

“I have something I’d like you to take a look at.”