Kamakura
In a quiet mansion, Yukinoshita Haruno lay sprawled on her bed, recently finished with work, her phone in hand and a fox-like smile tugging at her lips.
The moment she saw the news that Shiro Sakamaki had logged off in a panic, her grin widened.
"Hehe… I didn't expect Shiro-kun to get flustered like that," she mused with amusement. Folding her arms, she began counting on her fingers. "Three more days until the weekend… Aaaah~ I wish it were already here!"
Outside her door, Mrs. Yukinoshita, on her way back from the kitchen, paused as she heard the noise inside. Frowning, she knocked gently.
"Haruno? You're still awake?"
"Ah, Mom. I just showered. About to sleep now."
"You need to take care of your health. I'll help with the company matters, so don't stress too much."
"Thank you, Mom. But you've just recovered yourself. Make sure you rest too."
The light in Haruno's room went off. Mrs. Yukinoshita, satisfied, returned to her own bedroom with a sip of water. As she lay down, her mind wandered to everything Haruno had done over the past few years. A long sigh escaped her lips.
She didn't fully understand Haruno's motives, but some sacrifices for the sake of family were unavoidable. Since Haruno was willing to act for Yukino's sake, she chose to let her daughter have her way.
Yet, Yukinoshita Yukino's growth over the past year had been… underwhelming. Though her peers admired her, it still wasn't enough.
"Maybe…"
A thought crossed her mind—the boy with extraordinary powers that Haruno mentioned. If the Yukinoshita family also possessed such strength, perhaps they wouldn't remain so powerless in this society.
With that lingering possibility, she slowly drifted into sleep.
---
The Next Morning
At the Nakano household, Shiro Sakamaki sat down for breakfast and instantly noticed how lavish the spread was.
He glanced toward Nino, who was quietly eating her own food, completely unfazed—as if nothing had happened the night before.
But if you looked closely, you'd notice her earlobes were tinged red.
Shiro didn't mention it. He understood that girls were often shy about such things. Drawing attention to it would only make it worse. That kind of immature teasing was best left to elementary school boys.
The next few days were uneventful—ordinary school life filled with chats with Yotsuba and the others, study sessions, and the occasional meal at the Nakano household.
Before long, Saturday arrived.
After sleeping in until 3 a.m., Shiro got up, dressed, and prepared to visit Eriri Spencer's house. Though they had initially agreed to meet at his apartment, she changed the location last minute—asking him to come to her family villa instead.
He headed to the parking area, pulled on his helmet, and revved the engine of his motorcycle toward the Sawamura estate.
This was his third visit, and thanks to Sayuri Sawamura's prior instructions, the guard waved him in without question.
As he parked, Sayuri was already waiting at the entrance, half-hiding her face behind a decorative fan, greeting him with a warm smile.
"Ara~ Shiro-kun, you're early! There's still a whole hour until the scheduled time."
"Eriri-chan needs time to get ready, right? I've heard makeup is a serious ritual."
"My, what a gentleman you are," Sayuri giggled. "Come in. That lazy daughter of mine is still asleep. Why don't you go upstairs and wake her?"
Shiro froze.
You're seriously letting a guy into your daughter's room? While she's still in bed? What kind of heart does this woman have?
Still, he composed himself, removed his shoes, and stepped inside.
Sayuri led the way with elegant poise, her mature aura making it hard for Shiro not to notice.
No wonder people write Netori stories about her, he thought. That kind of charm's hard to ignore.
Shaking off the thought, he reminded himself he had at least some self-control.
Following Sayuri's directions, he reached Eriri's room and used the key she provided. The moment he stepped inside, a faint, sweet scent greeted him—not perfume, but something more subtle and natural.
On the bed, a small figure lay curled up under the blanket, forming a small hill.
Shiro smirked, briefly tempted to snap a picture as blackmail material—but decided against it. That would be going too far.
Instead, he walked over and gently patted the blanket.
"Hey, Eriri. Time to get up. The sun's almost cooking your butt."
Still half-asleep, Eriri mumbled, "Mmm… Five more minutes, Mom…"
Seeing her like that, Shiro's eyes twinkled mischievously. He leaned down, lifting a corner of the quilt to reveal her peaceful sleeping face—blonde hair splayed like silk on the pillow, her expression soft and serene.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Teacher Kashiwagi, your secret identity's been exposed. Everyone online's talking about it!"
Like a bolt of lightning, Eriri shot up from the bed.
"What!? That's impossible! I never showed my face—how could they know?! I'm doomed! My perfect rich-girl persona is ruined!"
As she panicked, Shiro casually walked over to the window. When Eriri spotted him, her face froze in horror before turning bright red.
Downstairs, Sayuri sipped tea with a knowing smile.
Ara~ So youthful… so energetic…
Back in the room, Eriri clutched her blanket and shrank into a corner, her face a mix of shame and anger.
"Y-You… how did you even get in here!?"
"It's almost time to go, and you were still sleeping," Shiro shrugged. "Your mom gave me the key."
"I-I know that! But get out! I have to change!"
"It's fine. There's not much to see anyway. Unless…"
"Shiro—Sakamaki—!!! I'll bite you to death!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Eriri pounced like a wildcat, biting his shoulder with all the fury of a flustered girl.
"OW—hey! Are you a dog or what!? Let go!!"
---
Enjoyed the chapter? Get early access to 100+ chapters on Patreon!
→ patreon.com/Arthorain