"Eriri, time to get up."
It was Tuesday morning, and Kyousuke knocked on the door for the third time.
The last two attempts had been met with grumpy replies like "Shut up!" and "So annoying!"—but now, it was completely silent.
If anything, she seemed to be sleeping even more soundly.
"I'm coming in~" He called softly and turned the doorknob.
Since he was the only one in the house who didn't wear pajamas, barging in like this wasn't too inappropriate.
Eriri was a known master of oversleeping; Sayuri-san had warned him back when they first moved in that if she didn't wake up with a few calls, he should just drag her out of bed.
Back home, their chauffeur would drop off Mr. Spencer for work in the morning, then immediately return to take Eriri to school.
It wasn't about keeping up her rich-girl image—having a driver take her to school wasn't exactly relatable.
It was because she was always about to be late.
Of course, Eriri would usually ask to be dropped off somewhere inconspicuous near the school and pretend she had walked the whole way.
Sometimes, she'd even fall asleep again in the car, which meant Sayuri-san had to wake her up again.
The door opened to a brightly lit room.
Only two of the three layers of curtains were drawn, allowing sunlight to pour in.
On the bed lay a sleeping girl—her posture wasn't exactly ladylike, but she was still a picture of beauty.
Eriri lay on her side, hugging a plush toy close.
One leg was draped over it, her nightgown pushed up nearly to her hips.
Gentle sunlight spilled across her toned legs and arms, making her already pale skin look nearly translucent, the fine golden fuzz on her limbs glinting faintly.
Her long blonde hair fanned out across the pillow behind her, and a faint smile played on her delicate face.
It almost felt wrong to disturb her.
One odd detail though—her head wasn't on the pillow.
She was lying at a forty-five-degree angle across the bed.
"Eriri~" Kyousuke called softly.
As someone who hated being jolted awake, he knew better than to shout.
"So… annoying…" she mumbled, her lashes fluttering.
Her lips parted as she murmured, and soon a noticeable droplet of drool began to form.
With his sharp eyes, Kyousuke immediately spotted it.
No way was he letting her sleep like that.
He quickly stepped over the plushies scattered across the floor, walking on the plush carpet that felt like fresh snow—specially installed for this very reason: to soften her frequent tumbles from bed.
He reached out and gently wiped the drool with his finger, then instinctively rubbed it on her lips before pinching them lightly closed with his thumb and forefinger.
"There. Another good deed for the day," he thought, nodding with satisfaction at her peaceful, baby-like sleeping face.
'Wait, that's not why I came in here.'
If he left her like this, Eriri would definitely blow up once she woke up and realized she'd skipped school.
She then will rage about how useless he was as a human alarm clock and threaten to sell him to a secondhand store.
Feeling mischievous, Kyousuke sat at the edge of the bed, leaned down, gently pulled the plush toy from her arms, and whispered into her ear:
"Lazy pig… lazy pig… lazy pig…"
"So noisy~!"
Without her familiar pillow, Eriri grumbled and with the dominance of a dream-world queen—grabbed him and yanked him down.
Her leg hooked over him again.
The smooth, silky feeling against his hand made Kyousuke's heart skip.
Heaven knows he hadn't meant to touch her thigh—instinct just kicked in when something wraps around you like that.
Half-asleep, half-awake, Eriri was drifting in the hazy zone between dreams and reality.
Her bare skin felt something unfamiliar, and her body's senses were quicker than her mind—bringing her back to full awareness.
Her light golden lashes trembled as she opened her eyes.
"Hmm? Kyousuke? Weren't you baking cookies for me?" she murmured.
"You're hungry even in your dreams, and you're still not getting up?" he said, chuckling softly.
"Hmm?" she mumbled groggily.
"What, waking up and seeing me makes you think you're still dream—"
'Bonk!'
Before he could finish, her forehead crashed into his in a weak but decisive headbutt.
Thankfully, it didn't hurt.
He was sturdy, and she was still half-asleep and too weak to make it count.
Their foreheads were so close that she'd need martial arts-level precision to hit hard anyway.
"It's hurt~….." Now fully awake, Eriri clutched her forehead, teary-eyed.
"There, there. Blow on it—no more pain. But if you don't get up now, first period's going to be over."
Like soothing a child, Kyousuke puffed gently at her forehead.
It was a rough way to start the morning, but Sayuri-san had said that her version of waking Eriri involved yanking the girl out of bed and forcibly removing her pajamas.
"Huh!?"
Eriri shot upright at lightning speed, her pride fully activated.
She glanced toward the alarm clock on her nightstand.
Yes, of course she had an alarm clock. And she changed it often.
Time: 7:50 AM.
"You jerk! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!" she howled.
Tch.
Kyousuke didn't bother responding.
She was clearly just shifting blame. Typical.
"I already packed your breakfast and lunch," he said, stepping out and closing the door behind him.
Today's chefs were Shouko and Naoka—cooking for the whole crew was no small task.
As he walked past another room with a rose-shaped nameplate, he glanced at it—it was Kasumigaoka Utaha's.
She was still fast asleep.
Their last message exchange had been around 3:30 a.m.
"No need to wake me up every morning. If you're tired too, just skip class and sleep in with me."
She had gotten hooked on a new novel and had stayed up reading until then.
As for skipping class—well, she was the top student. Who could stop her?
Less than five minutes later, Eriri emerged from her room dressed in her school uniform—with a pair of gym shorts under her skirt, ready to hop on Kyousuke's motorcycle.
"Let's go, slacker. We don't have time to mess around!" She gave off an aura of no-nonsense efficiency.
Put her in a business suit and she could easily pass for a corporate executive.
Too bad she was really just the Queen of Oversleeping.
She stuffed her bento into her bag, and the two of them headed for the garage.
With Utaha still snoozing, it was just the two of them awake at home.
"Must be nice being Momotarou," Eriri muttered as they passed their dog. "You get to nap all day without a care in the world…"
She had clearly forgotten all about the doghouse she promised to build.
The school wasn't far on foot—barely a 15-minute walk.
On Kyousuke's motorcycle, it was just a few minutes.
They stopped at a quiet alley just short of the campus, where Eriri casually pulled off her gym shorts and shoved them into her bag.
Even in Tokyo, most girls' school skirts weren't that short—usually knee-length.
Some, of course, altered them—folding the hem inside or hiking them up.
The school's disciplinary committee had its hands full trying to make them wear them "properly."
So even though Kyousuke stood nearby as a makeshift privacy screen, he didn't get any special "viewing privileges" whatsoever.
Sigh... And now, he was the one in danger of being late.
"Bye-bye, Kyousuke~ See you tonight~"
By the parked motorbike, Eriri stood with her schoolbag in both hands, flashing a perfect ojou-sama smile—but this time, it was laced with a sugary sweetness, like honey.
"Yeah, go on then~"
Really, just being able to wake her up in the morning, see that adorable sleepy face, and escort her to school—wasn't that already happiness enough?
Not to mention, the real reason Eriri overslept was technically his fault.
After their nightly "fitness session," the two of them had launched into an academic debate.
Specifically, a brainstorming session for the Tokyo Youth Expo, discussing how to best present their theme.
Was it about youth lost, youth in progress, or eternal youth beyond age?
Was the focus on futile efforts, determined efforts, or efforts that led to results?
They doodled sketches while munching snacks, and before they knew it, it was past midnight.
That might be a normal bedtime for most high schoolers in Japan, but the Hojou household was all about healthy living.
Sleep was sacred. And Eriri, still in her growth spurt, never got enough of it.
Naturally, motorcycles weren't allowed on school grounds.
Higashi had only gotten that privilege thanks to years of lobbying by upperclassmen.
Thankfully, there was a parking lot nearby, so Kyousuke dropped off the bike and dashed toward the school.
At the gate, a student council member raised his hand to stop him—anyone arriving at this hour usually had to face some kind of lecture.
But a teacher nearby stopped the student and smiled.
"Hojou-kun, even if you stayed up late studying, make sure you get enough rest, okay? And don't run too fast in the hallways."
"Yes, thank you, sensei" Kyousuke responded with his best customer-service smile, nodding eagerly before continuing his sprint toward the building.
He arrived at the classroom's back door just in time to see Hiratsuka Shizuka approaching the front entrance a few meters away.
He gave his dignified, ever-respectful teacher a sheepish grin, slipped the door open, and slipped inside.
Sakura and Shouko were chatting quietly, but the moment Kyousuke walked in, they turned their attention to him.
Shouko was just about to ask how Eriri was doing when the front door burst open.
Hiratsuka Shizuka paused mid-step, then clenched her teeth in frustration.
Damn, so close to finally getting to scold that brat.
With her white coat fluttering dramatically even in the absence of wind, she stepped into the classroom.
"Club recruitment is almost over. If you haven't joined a club yet, now's the time to get moving."
"While our school doesn't require club participation, it's an essential part of your high school experience and will benefit your future."
Her gaze shifted toward the back-right corner of the room, and her tone rose ever so slightly:
"Of course, it'd be ideal if you joined a legitimate club where you actually learn something."
Then, she picked up a piece of chalk and wrote three large kanji on the board:
[体育祭 — Sports Festival]
"The spring sports festival is scheduled for mid-May. Starting today, we'll begin preparations. Every class will be split into three groups—Red, White, and Blue."
Hiratsuka-sensei explained in detail.
Unlike simple interclass competitions, sports festivals in Japanese high schools were massive events, practically treated like festivals.
Each class sent representatives to form a "Sports Committee" responsible for organizing everything.
The mixed-grade and mixed-class teams were a great chance to make friends across year levels.
Each team had a team leader—usually a third-year student with two previous festivals under their belt.
Below them were sub-leaders for performances, gates, curtains, and costumes, typically held by second- or third-years.
First-years mainly participated in the dance performance group—"entertainment team"—and did general support tasks.
In other words, grunt work.
The school also provided funding for fabric, costumes, and other supplies.
"Team assignments will be delivered during break, mostly based on student numbers. You're free to start discussing representatives in advance."
"Make the most of it and have fun—our Soubu High School sports festival is even covered by international media."
With that final remark, Hiratsuka-sensei walked out of the room.
With time left before first period started, the class broke into lively chatter.
"Wait, we have to dance? What about you, Kyousuke?" Sakura grinned with barely disguised glee.
Shouko also looked concerned—they both knew exactly how popular Kyousuke was.
"…"
Kyousuke paused to think, recalling the time he'd seen the sports festival during middle school.
It had been wild.
As an all-boys school, some events got pretty…intense.
Shirtless contests.
Half the time, it devolved into full-on wrestling.
"Maybe you could be a drummer instead?" Shouko offered, trying to be helpful.
That haunting late-night karaoke session from winter break still rang in her ears.
She hadn't seen him dance, but a guy with no rhythm wasn't going to impress on the dance floor.
"Oh! I've got it!" she suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hands.
A few girls nearby glanced over, startling her into a sheepish bow.
"Hojou-kun should run for competition leader! You'd totally get picked!"
While most leadership roles went to upperclassmen, exceptions were made for truly outstanding students.
"Nope. Hard pass." Kyousuke rejected the idea on the spot.
Sports festivals sounded exhausting enough already—taking on a leadership role was just asking for trouble.
Even if he didn't know the full job description, it didn't take a genius to guess: pick athletes, organize practices…
And for unpopular events like the 5k run, he'd probably have to compete himself.
Definitely not worth it.
Even if he had the stamina to breeze through the whole festival without breaking a sweat, he'd much rather sit back and watch Shouko and Sakura dance.
"Hehe, then let's all dance together! Come on, I haven't seen Kyousuke bust a move in ages," Sakura teased with a mischievous grin.
"Forget that ever happened, or I'll be forced to resort to physical therapy."
After receiving his "artistic talent" from Miki, Kyousuke had tried to reclaim his childhood dignity by dancing in front of Yamauchi Sakura.
Predictably, the result had been laughter. Lots of it.
"Everyone has their weak spots. Why torture yourself?"
His childhood friend had returned his own words to him, like a knife in the gut.
First period was math.
They'd started a new unit on "number theory" last week—defining integers, decimals, and calculating absolute values.
Today, they began solving compound inequalities.
Even without Shouko's tutoring, Kyousuke could've aced this stuff.
Honestly, he could walk into the University of Tokyo's pre-med entrance exam and pass with flying colors.
So, naturally, he took a nap instead.
Reclaiming the joys of student life.
The teacher glanced at him briefly, then continued teaching.
After all, this was the school's star pupil—the math teacher was banking on him to win competitions and rake in some bonus money.
Aside from one particularly stubborn outlier, the rest of the students were diligently paying attention in class.
Whether back when it was a public school or now as a private one, Soubu High had always been focused on academic advancement.
The students here had worked hard in middle school to get in.
Anyone planning to go straight to a vocational school or into the workforce after graduation wouldn't come here just to suffer through this.
After class, Kyousuke was shaken awake by Sakura.
As expected, a school desk really is the most comfortable bed in the world—resistance is futile, even for insomniacs.
A third-year student came by with the team assignment list for the sports festival.
Unsurprisingly, all the transfer students had been grouped together on the Red Team.
That meant the five former Higashi members, plus Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, Yuigahama Yui, Kawasaki Saki, and a few extras whose names no one could really remember.
When Yui saw the list, her face immediately lit up with joy.
But after glancing at Miura Yumiko and Ebina Hina nearby, she quickly wiped away any trace of a smile.
"Huh? You're the last one on the list, Yui? Want me to talk to the committee and have you switched to our group instead?" Miura suggested casually.
"Eh? Eh?!"
Yui was completely caught off guard, but as the reigning queen of reading the room, she knew better than to reject the offer outright—otherwise the queen bee might feel betrayed.
'What do I do, what do I do?' she panicked.
She thought this was the perfect chance to grow closer to Hojo-kun and properly thank him for saving Sable, her dachshund.
Even though he clearly didn't remember either her or the incident...
"Yay! Yui, we're in the same team!" Sakura tugged gently on Yui's sleeve.
Sakura was the first new friend she'd made in this class.
Miura shot a glance at Yamauchi Sakura, then dropped the subject and turned to chat with Ebina instead.
'Phew...' Yui let out a sigh of relief and happily squeezed Sakura's hand.
"Hojo, you wanna be our team rep?" Kisaki Tetta asked, though he didn't sound very hopeful.
"I'll pass. Zaimokuza, how about you?" Kyousuke turned to the overly eager Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, who had already wandered over.
"EHHH?! No way! No way, no way! I absolutely can't!" Zaimokuza flailed his arms in a panic.
Having to talk to classmates he didn't know—and upperclassmen?
That was basically like launching a solo expedition to the Dark Continent during summer break.
At least monsters were straightforward. This? He'd have to navigate people.
"I think it's a great idea! This is the perfect opportunity to grow. You're never going to be stage-ready at this rate, General Swordmaster." Goro Hata casually slung an arm around Zaimokuza's shoulder.
That was the beauty of sports clubs—no matter how different their personalities were, sweating it out together during practice made them fast friends.
"I need all my free time to repel the dark forces threatening this world! If I don't hold them off, the souls of our classmates will be devoured instantly!" Zaimokuza tried to hold his ground.
"Then let them come. Big bro here'll take care of all of them," chimed in Ryoma Mitsuhashi with a grin.
"We should probably ask the girls, too," Sakura chimed in, raising her voice a bit.
Kyousuke gave his childhood friend a curious look.
He knew better than anyone how lazy she was.
Sure, she might be a bit more motivated than him, but there was no way she'd voluntarily take on this kind of responsibility.
Wandering between departments in search of something fun was much more her style.
"Nishimiya, Yui, Kawasaki-san—any of you interested?"
Kawasaki Saki, who hadn't joined the conversation and had been gazing out the window with her chin in her hand, snapped out of her daze like she'd just been pulled out of another world.
Her silver ponytail swayed as she turned to face them.
"I'm not interested. You guys can decide," she said flatly, her voice just as cool as her demeanor.
It was the first time Kyousuke had really looked at her closely.
There were quite a few students in their class who might as well have been NPCs, and he had no interest in stirring up any more trouble than necessary.
Kawasaki Saki's hair was a unique shade—black with a bluish tint that shimmered silver in the light.
Unlike Miura Yumiko's dyed blonde, hers was clearly natural, something Kyousuke's scanning eye caught instantly.
She didn't talk much with classmates, not out of shyness like Shouko, but because she was naturally aloof.
A beauty mark under her right eye trembled slightly when she spoke, softening her otherwise icy aura with a hint of allure.
Still, when Sakura spoke, Kawasaki responded immediately.
Out of everyone in class, Sakura was probably the friendliest to her—unlike most who assumed she was unapproachable.
"Alright then... what about you, Yui?" Sakura took charge again, and the five former Higashi members wisely kept their mouths shut.
"Me? Oh, no way! I'm terrible at organizing stuff. Shouko should do it! She'd be great!" Yui blurted out, throwing Shouko under the bus like a panicked elementary schooler who couldn't answer the teacher's question.
"Me?" To everyone's surprise, Shouko actually paused to think about it seriously.
Kyousuke and Sakura both gave her an "aww, our daughter's growing up" smile.
"But I don't really have the time. Like, I've got training after school today..."
Shouko gently declined.
She had remembered what Kyousuke had told her before—this could be a good chance to grow.
If she could pull it off, maybe she wouldn't be so nervous when voice acting.
"I can talk to them and get your lessons moved to the weekend, if that helps," Kyousuke offered.
Her training center was geared toward working adults, so the schedule was flexible.
Shouko had special privileges that let her attend more often than usual.
"Nope!" Shouko immediately shook her head.
No way was she going to slack off.
Eriri had even given up a competition just to work on the anime—how could she be the only one taking it easy?
"Well then... General Swordmaster, the honor is all yours!" Sakura delivered the final verdict, and everyone else clapped in agreement.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Zaimokuza shouted, snapping into a salute.
Along with the team assignment list came a notice to gather during lunch.
Kyousuke could only groan in despair.
So much for leisurely eating bento with Yukino—now he was in for a full-on soul interrogation.
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