Fingers rhythmically tapped against the desk.
Haruto ignored the icy gaze beside him, one sharp enough to kill, as he pondered over the Red Sea Object (SCP-093).
A portal to a parallel dimension.
On the other side lay an Earth that had already undergone an apocalypse.
Haruto's stance on the Red Sea Object was clear—eliminate it.
Exploring a post-apocalyptic world was dangerous and irrational.
The O5 Council's vote stood at 2-1-1.
Two votes in favor of termination, one against, and one abstention (arguing that the current intelligence was insufficient to make a judgment).
Thus, the Foundation decided to conduct periodic observation and experiments on the Red Sea Object.
If no new evidence proved its benefits to the main world and humanity, it would be terminated (destroyed).
Haruto had seen that "Unclean Land" and the "Unclean Beings" that crawled upon it. In truth, he and Yukino felt the same way.
One could sense the suffering emanating from those creatures.
For those abominations, death was, in a way, a form of release.
Pushing these thoughts aside for now, Haruto decided to leave the experiments to the Foundation.
The day's classes passed quickly.
During the final self-study period, Shizuka Hiratsuka entered the classroom, once again carrying a stack of documents.
"Just like last semester, there are two forms; one for the school festival promotion, the other for the exchange student program."
"You all should be familiar with this process by now. Fill them out as you see fit and submit them. I won't go over it again."
Upon hearing this, many students turned their eyes toward Haruto.
Sōbu High had only ever had two exchange students, Yukino and Haruto.
And they had been sent to Hyakkaou Private Academy and Shuchi'in Academy, respectively.
Both had seemingly done well there.
Some students began seriously considering giving it a try.
Noticing this, Shizuka Hiratsuka's expression visibly darkened.
"Don't just look at others, consider your own situation before making a decision. What works for them might not work for you."
Her words had some effect.
But not entirely.
After all, they were teenagers in their prime. Most wouldn't listen to reason. Shizuka Hiratsuka helplessly turned to Haruto. If these students went for the exchange program, next semester would not be kind to them.
Going to Shuchi'in was one thing, they'd simply get crushed academically.
But going to Hyakkaou… they might not even have their bones left intact.
Haruto understood Shizuka's silent plea and raised his hand.
She immediately signaled for him to speak.
Standing up, Haruto scanned the classroom and cleared his throat before saying:
"It seems like many of you are interested in the exchange program. Conveniently, Yukino and I just returned from our exchange last semester. We experienced Shuchi'in and Hyakkaou firsthand. If you're interested, feel free to ask us about the details. We've even prepared a small test to help determine whether you're suited for the exchange program."
Yukino: ?
What small test? Since when?
Why was she being dragged into this?!
Just as Yukino was about to glare at him, Haruto slid a note toward her.
She picked it up and read it.
"Help me out, and I'll make sure your sister lets you have a cat."
Her eyes widened instantly, shining with excitement.
As an extreme cat lover, Yukino's love for cats went beyond the average person's imagination. Unfortunately, due to family traditions, the Yukinoshita household upheld a sense of decorum and did not allow pets.
(Maybe they were afraid of cat hair shedding?)
So whenever her cat cravings hit, Yukino had to go to pet stores just to pet some.
But with heavy academics, strict family rules, and now Foundation responsibilities, she barely had time for even that.
Haruto's offer was simply too tempting to refuse!
And so, the self-study period turned into a testing session.
Long lines formed at both Haruto and Yukino's desks.
Shizuka Hiratsuka folded her arms and stood behind Haruto, curious to see what kind of "test" he had prepared.
Then, she saw him pull out a fresh deck of playing cards from his pocket.
"Blackjack. If you win, you're fit for Hyakkaou," Haruto said with a devilish grin.
And so, for the next period, Haruto acted as the dealer, and every round, his hand miraculously totaled 21 points.
Due to the house advantage, this ensured he never lost.
No matter how the students shuffled or cut the deck, or even if Haruto wasn't allowed to touch the cards at all—
He always ended up with 21.
Students surrounded him, watching closely, yet no one could spot any trickery.
Eventually, every aspiring Hyakkaou student wore an expression of pure disbelief and completely abandoned the idea.
Shizuka Hiratsuka watched, inwardly amazed.
She could only think—
As expected of the boy who had bested the Hundred Devouring Families' student council president.
That level of gambling skill…
Well, actually, she wasn't sure if this even counted as "gambling skills" anymore. It felt more like magic disguised as a game of chance.
Meanwhile, Yukino's test was even simpler.
"Is your family's assets counted in billions?"
"Are your parents high-ranking government officials or executives in a major financial group?"
"Do you have relatives holding positions at or above the bureau level?"
Just three questions, and the students were already dumbfounded.
If they failed even one—
"Sorry, but you're not suited for Shuchi'in Academy."
With both tests crushing their hopes, the class quickly reassessed their reality.
"I'm just a small fry, I should know my place."
And so, like previous years, the exchange program applications were discarded and sold as scrap paper.
Satisfied, Shizuka Hiratsuka returned to the podium.
"Thank you to both students for their assistance. Don't feel discouraged, those of you interested in performing at the school festival, please fill out the application forms instead."
The class collectively twitched at her words.
What kind of "consolation" was that?
Wasn't she just telling them to give up and go home?
Still, they begrudgingly picked up the forms and started filling them out.
At that moment, Shizuka Hiratsuka turned to Haruto again.
"As always, our genius student has received two invitations. Which school are you attending this time?"
The students: MMP!
Haruto blinked, confused.
By now, Hyakkaou was under Jabami Yumeko's control, with Kirari Momobami off somewhere chasing thrills within the Hundred Devouring Families.
But regardless of who was in charge, why would they still be trying to transfer him back?
That entire school already belonged to him.
As for Shuchi'in—
Nothing had changed. Shinomiya Kaguya was still student council president. But hadn't she already joined the Foundation? What reason was there for them to invite him back?
Haruto was confused.
"Uh, I'll go to Shuchiin."
Ultimately, out of curiosity, Haruto decided to check out Shuchiin.
Hiratsuka nodded with visible reluctance.
This was her student!
And yet, she'd only seen him in class for a few days across two semesters.
Unacceptable!
Meanwhile, the rest of the class had long since gone numb to this. Yukino nudged Haruto, lowering her voice.
"Why are you going to Shuchiin? To mess with noble ladies?"
Haruto's lips twitched.
"What do you mean 'mess with'? I'm just going there as a normal exchange student to experience school life."
"Besides, speaking of noble ladies, Yukino, don't you count as one too? Are you referring to yourself?"
Yukino: !
The girl turned away, flustered.
Then, as if remembering something, she whispered—
"Don't forget your promise. Talk to her..."
Seeing her attitude, Haruto feigned ignorance.
"Huh? Who?"
Yukino turned back angrily.
"You promised!"
Haruto still played dumb.
"So, who exactly?"
Through clenched teeth, Yukino spat out—
"Yukinoshita Haruno."
"Ah, your sister? What a distant way to address her," Haruto teased with a grin.
Yukino puffed out her cheeks, resisting the urge to bite him. Why was this guy always so infuriating?!
After school—
Keeping his promise, Haruto sought out Haruno.
Haruno was one of the earliest to pass the Foundation's tests and join. But her current rank remained low.
Seeing Haruto approach, Haruno looked both surprised and confused.
"What brings the great President here?"
"Uh… can you let your sister keep a cat?"
Haruno: ?