"Wonderful."
After finishing a song, Kato Megumi softly murmured in amazement.
Neither of them had known how to play the guitar at first.
Yet, after only a short period of study, Yukima Azuma was able to guide her hand and lead her through the entire piece.
Even though she lacked the skills herself, Megumi could still tell—it was nothing short of remarkable.
"It's all thanks to Megumi too. Don't underestimate our connection," Yukima Azuma said with a grin.
Megumi poked him playfully in the side, not buying it. She knew it was just his usual teasing.
Like when he told her, "Megumi is very special." Words meant to disarm her.
But somehow, Yukima Azuma always saw through her thoughts.
This time, he gently caught her mischievous hand.
His serious eyes locked onto her tuberose-like gaze.
"I'm not joking. Or comforting you. I really do think you're special."
"There's only one Kato Megumi in this entire world."
"There's no need to change a thing. It might sound roundabout, but Megumi is just… Megumi."
"Hmm, words aren't enough. So let me show you. I'll prove that Megumi is the most captivating girl in the world, okay?"
Halfway through his heartfelt confession, he realized he was getting a little tangled in his words.
But by then, the idea had already taken root in his heart.
Kato Megumi blinked slowly, her clear eyes reflecting her surprise.
"Show me? How?"
"I can't tell you yet." Yukima raised a finger to his lips. "Secret."
Megumi nodded slightly.
But deep in her heart, a new feeling quietly blossomed.
It wasn't the usual curiosity or mild interest she typically felt toward the things and people around her.
It was a real sense of expectation.
Even longing.
Her heart began to race—gently, but undeniably.
She found herself hoping, almost irrationally, that whatever he planned would happen within the next thirty seconds.
Her free hand moved subconsciously to her chest.
Kato Megumi carefully savored the unfamiliar sensation.
Later that evening – after practice
The band session ended around sundown.
Ijichi Nijika looked at Yukima Azuma like she was staring at some kind of monster.
Meanwhile, Kita Ikuyo had Bocchi in her arms and was bawling uncontrollably.
"W-We bought the wrong one again, didn't we? This is actually a bass, right!? It's too hard!" she wailed.
Clearly, the practice hadn't gone as smoothly as hoped.
Still, they were together again as a band.
There'd be plenty more sessions.
More effort. More growth.
And eventually—progress.
At home
Yukima Azuma walked in with a bright smile and sat beside Kasumigaoka Utaha.
"Senpai, I want to learn how to write light novels."
Utaha gave him a long look.
There was something strange about him today.
He had the air of a mischievous child trying to do something good before getting caught—hoping to avoid punishment.
Suspicious, but intrigued, Utaha agreed.
She patiently guided him through the structural techniques: story flow, pacing, cliffhangers.
As she spoke, she realized Yukima Azuma wasn't lacking in literary talent.
In fact, his writing was arguably better than hers.
The only thing he lacked was polish.
After her short lecture, Yukima confidently opened his laptop and started typing.
Utaha glanced over his shoulder.
"'Seishun Kodoku Shounen wa Tōrisugari no Heroine no Yume o Minai'? What kind of ridiculous title is that?"
(EN: "The Lonely Youth Will Not Dream of a Passing Heroine")
Utaha raised a brow, skeptical.
Yukima Azuma only smiled and said nothing.
Later that night
"Senpai, can we have rib soup for dinner tonight?"
"Ribs? Isn't that a bit heavy?"
"Just soup! Nothing fatty."
"Fine."
Azuma pulled out the defrosted ribs and laid them on the cutting board.
He picked up the meat cleaver and got to work.
But after only a few cuts—
[Cooking Skill Leveled Up: 6 → 7]
He paused.
Opening his system panel:
[Status Panel]
Owner: Yukima Azuma
Body: 7
Intelligence: 8
Charm: 8
Skills:
Language Proficiency (Lv6)
Literature (Lv6)
Cooking (Lv7)
Programming (Lv4)
Shogi (Lv8)
Note: Beginner-level skills (Lv1–3) are hidden.
He smiled.
Finally, another skill had reached master level.
Time to see what it unlocked.
Yukima Azuma closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, they gleamed with clarity.
Setting the cleaver aside, he ran a finger along the rib.
With a light press, the bone split apart cleanly—no force required.
One by one, he dismantled the rack of ribs, precisely and effortlessly.
Washing his hands, he examined his thumb joint.
A quick press—
Click. Dislocation.
Click. Reset.
Confirmed.
Just like with Shogi, Level 7 unlocked something more: a special ability tied to the skill.
Shogi let him move reality like pieces on a board.
Cooking allowed him to see ingredients.
Bone density, muscle texture, joint placement—every anatomical detail became visible to him.
He took a deep breath and dismissed the vision.
Every time he used it, the impulse to dismantle things grew stronger.
Dinner time
Utaha took a sip of the rib soup.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"Delicious…"
If this were a food anime, she thought, her clothes would've exploded by now and she'd be floating in a golden haze.
She blinked. Wait…
"You didn't spike this soup with anything weird, did you?"
"…What?"
"Why does it feel so stimulating? You better not have added aphrodisiacs!"
Yukima Azuma: "Do I look like the kind of guy who'd do that?"
Friday — After School
It was club activity day.
Eriri followed Yukima Azuma back to his apartment.
Kato Megumi also tagged along to check on Shiratamaru.
Right at the school gate, they ran into Kasumigaoka Utaha—clearly waiting.
Thus, three beautiful high school girls surrounded Yukima Azuma on the walk home.
Sounds like a dream?
Well…
Utaha's eyes could kill.
If it were just Eriri, there might've been a fight already.
But today, Megumi was present—too much of a wildcard to provoke.
So Utaha held back.
But as they arrived, a sleek black luxury car sat outside the apartment.
Yukima Azuma glanced at the license plate.
Eriri's family.
In front of the door was a towering stack of boxes.
"Everything's been moved in, ojou-sama," the family butler reported. "Since we didn't have the key, we left it here."
"…Sawamura-san," Utaha said sweetly, her voice laced with ice, "what exactly are you planning?"
Eriri cleared her throat.
"Ahem. Renting a room, of course. I have illustration work to finish for White Album before Comiket. It's tight."
"To save time, I'll coordinate directly with Azuma."
"I'm doing this for our club's game!"
She puffed her chest out, trying to look confident.
Utaha's eyes narrowed.
"I disagree."
Eriri flinched.
Also—why the hell is her chest so big!?
But she didn't back down.
"If you disagree, so what? You're just a tenant. Azuma's the landlord."
"Besides, if you can rent a room, why can't I? The clubroom got taken by the student council!"
"We'll be holding club meetings here. Do you expect me to commute every time?"
She had her reasoning ready.
But Utaha wasn't ready to give in either.
As the argument heated up, Yukima calmly unlocked the door.
The butler looked to him for a final decision.
After all, Miss Sayuri had instructed him to prioritize Yukima's orders above all else.
"…Move it to the second floor. I'll show you the way."
The butler nodded.
Eriri stood frozen.
Why was her family's butler taking his orders?
They weren't even married yet!