As Naoki, Hibiki, and Maki made their way toward the school exit, their conversation drifted back to the events of the day. Hibiki still seemed unsettled, a faint frown on his face as he replayed what had happened with the delinquents.
"Hey, it's okay," Naoki said, trying to ease his friend's mind. "After all, it was stupid of me to try and stand up against three guys like that… And you two—" He turned to look at them, narrowing his eyes. "You two vanished like steam above a kettle."
Hibiki let out an exaggerated sigh, stretching his arms lazily. "I had to take a break, you know."
Maki, standing beside him, rolled her eyes. "And I… met my sister. She's in the third year," she said with a small yawn, clearly unbothered.
As the three changed their shoes at the school entrance, ready to leave, they noticed a group of students gathering near the exit. Among them, standing out from the crowd, was none other than Nishikawa Ashido, the student council secretary—and, of course, Naoki's older sister.
But it wasn't just her.
The rest of the group consisted of two boys and one girl. One of the boys seemed older than the rest, exuding a calm and composed aura. His short brown hair was neatly styled, and his uniform looked impeccable, as if he had just pulled it straight out of the closet and ironed it five times. There was no mistaking him—Suzuki Ren, the student council president.
"How do I know? Well... my sister has a crush on him."
The second boy had a different vibe entirely. His medium-length hair was slightly messy but still well-maintained, and the glasses on his face gave him an air of intelligence. His watch was expensive-looking, but more importantly—his bag had a keychain of a certain popular shonen manga character. Naoki narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Wait a second… Hibiki was right. That's definitely Karahara Kei, the student council treasurer—and president of the manga club."
But what really caught Naoki's attention was the girl standing next to Kei.
She had long blonde hair, tied up in a stylish high ponytail, and was wearing a little more makeup than the average student. Her nails were painted, and her entire aura screamed gyaru.
"That can't be the vice president… right? She must just be a friend…?"
Naoki felt his curiosity spark, but before he could dwell on it, the group of student council members turned toward them, and his peaceful walk home was about to take an unexpected turn.
"Well, let's talk later," Hibiki said, stretching his arms before heading toward the bike racks. He hopped onto his bike, flashing one last lazy wave before pedaling away down the road.
Maki, on the other hand, pulled out her phone, glancing at the screen before looking at Naoki. "Well, I gotta go too. I still need to catch up on something. Have a nice rest of the day, Nishikawa!" she said casually, turning on her heel and walking off.
Naoki waved as she left, standing alone for a moment, enjoying the brief silence—until suddenly, a voice whispered right beside his ear.
"Girlfriend?"
"HUWAAAH—!" Naoki jumped in shock, nearly stumbling as he spun around. His heart pounded in his chest as he found himself face-to-face with none other than Ashido.
"How did you get here?! And why so quiet?!" Naoki blurted, still recovering from the shock.
His sister simply crossed her arms, an amused smirk on her face. "My locker's over there, dummy." She pointed toward the row of lockers near the entrance before tilting her head slightly, a teasing glint in her eyes. "So… girlfriend?"
"What?! No! Of course not! What is wrong with you?!" Naoki practically shouted, waving his hands in frustration. "She's just a friend. Riruka Maki. Friend. Get it?" He let out a loud sigh, shaking his head in disbelief.
Ashido's smirk only widened. Yet Naoki replied "And anyway what is it to you, Ashinee."
Before Naoki could even process the nickname, a sharp pain shot through his ear as Ashido grabbed and twisted it mercilessly.
"A-AH! OW, OW, OW—HEY!" Naoki whined, trying to pry her hand off.
"'Ashinee'?! You've gained some confidence, haven't you?!" Ashido scolded, twisting his ear even more.
"I-IT JUST SLIPPED OUT! HAVE MERCY!!" Naoki pleaded, flailing slightly.
Ashido finally let go, rolling her eyes as Naoki rubbed his poor, abused ear. He sighed in defeat, realizing once again that no matter what, he was never going to win against his sister.
As Naoki rubbed his sore ear, he glanced at Ashido with curiosity.
"That group from earlier… that was the whole student council, right?" he asked. His eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled the blonde girl. "That gyaru… she's also part of the council?"
Ashido immediately shot him a glare. "That 'gyaru' has a name, Bakaoki. That was Aoi Himari—the vice president."
Naoki nodded absentmindedly, but then—his brain fully processed what she just said.
"What?! Vice?! Gyaru?!" His eyes widened as he blinked in disbelief. "No way! She's the vice president?"
Ashido scoffed, crossing her arms as she looked away.
Naoki furrowed his brows. "But… didn't you want to go for vice president this year?"
There was a brief silence.
Ashido turned on her heel and started walking toward the gate. "Let's go home already. The train will be here soon."
Naoki immediately understood. Maybe it was a sore topic, or maybe she just didn't want to talk about it. Either way, he knew better than to push.
So instead, after a few moments of walking in silence, he asked something else.
"And how was your day, Onee?"
There was a pause.
Then, without looking at him, Ashido simply replied, "It was good."
As they got home, Naoki headed straight to his room, flopping onto his bed with a long sigh.
Meanwhile, his younger sister, Naomi, had already claimed his computer, comfortably watching anime.
Naoki wanted to watch too, but there was just one problem—she was already ahead of him in the series.
Not wanting spoilers, he simply rested on his bed, staring at the ceiling while reflecting on the day.
After a moment, he lazily reached for his phone and opened the group chat with Hibiki and Ruruka.
Naoki: "So, any plans?"
A response came almost immediately.
Hibiki: "Well, I'm about to go to the arcade in the center. Wanna join?"
Before Naoki could even think of replying, another message popped up—this time from Ruruka.
Ruruka: "Did you do your homework?"
A single sad emoji followed.
Naoki chuckled, but just as he was about to type something back, another message from Hibiki appeared.
This one was identical to his first invite—but sent privately, away from Ruruka's watchful eyes.
Naoki grinned.
Looks like someone was trying to sneak away.
Naoki quickly typed out a reply.
Naoki: "Sorry, Hibiki, but I can't today. I have an imouto to take care of. But maybe tomorrow?"
After sending the text, he stretched his arms, letting out a small yawn before getting up.
Feeling a bit hungry, he made his way downstairs in search of something to snack on.
The rest of the day was uneventful for Naoki.
He wanted to hang out with Hibiki and Ruruka, but duties were duties.
As the evening passed by peacefully, the next morning came quicker than expected.
But this time—**before Ashido could even knock on his door—**Naoki swung it open, rushing straight to the bathroom.
"First shower is mine!" he declared, slamming the door shut behind him.
By the time he was done getting ready, he went downstairs for breakfast.
Just like yesterday, it was just the kids and their mother.
However, something unexpected caught his attention.
Standing in the kitchen, Ashido was making a bento.
For a split second, Naoki wondered if he was still half-asleep.
"Wow... You decided to cook? This early? What's the occasion?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ashido turned around and shot him a piercing glare.
"It's not for me, Bakaoki," she replied, shoving the bento box in front of him.
Naoki blinked in confusion.
"But for you. Don't get used to it."
Before he could even process what just happened, Ashido turned on her heel and headed for the bathroom.
Naoki stared at the bento for a few seconds.
And then, it clicked.
His face turned red as he shot up from his seat, yelling after her—
"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!!!"
As both of them stood in the crowded train car, Naoki glared at Ashido, his face still burning with embarrassment.
In his hands was the bento—the very cause of his current misery.
His dumb sister now believed that Rurika was his girlfriend, which was not only wrong but also super weird.
He knew she was joking, but for some reason, it bothered him.
It wasn't like he disliked Rurika. In fact, she was undeniably cute and would probably become the class favorite in no time.
But when he watched how she interacted with Hibiki, it was clear they had a stronger bond than what he had with either of them.
Lost in thought, Naoki barely noticed when Ashido suddenly spoke up.
"I saw you with some guys in the yard yesterday… why didn't you tell me about that?"
Naoki sighed and looked away.
"It was my own stupidity. They were annoying one of our classmates, and I just… I didn't want to walk away, so I said something."
Ashido clicked her tongue in frustration.
"You're such a dummy... I'll inform the council."
She then did something completely unexpected.
She patted his head.
Naoki froze.
His sister never did stuff like this.
And for some reason… it felt weird.
"Dont pat me... Its wierd" He replied And she put on her calm And student secretary act "Please dont to me from now on until we get home" she Said And left the car together with him in her Track "Roger Roger"
The Day in Ichinomiya started the way He hoped immidiently meeting with Hibiki And Rurika so they exchange some topics in they talks but the halls feels more quiet then it suppose be And before Naoki can know why He bumbed into someoem
Naoki stumbled back, blinking in surprise as he looked up at the person he had just bumped into.
Standing before him was a tall girl with long, silky black hair that cascaded down her back.
Her deep violet eyes locked onto his, sharp and calculating, as if she was sizing him up.
For a moment, the hallway felt even quieter.
Students around them stopped, either stealing glances or whispering to each other.
Naoki gulped.
Something about this girl felt different.
Then, she suddenly smirked.
"So you're the guy who tried playing hero yesterday."
Her voice was smooth yet teasing, laced with amusement.
Naoki froze.
How did she know about that?!
The girl in front of him was taller than most of the girls he'd seen so far. Her hair was jet black, silky, and well-maintained, reaching past her waist. It looked like she was surely going for a ponytail, but for now, her hair cascaded freely. Her deep violet eyes pierced Naoki through and through, and her fair skin and slender figure gave her a distinct, almost womanly look. But what really caught his attention were the scratches on her knuckles, as though they were battle marks from past encounters.
She wore the standard Ichinomiya Kita High School uniform, but with subtle alterations: her blazer was slightly unbuttoned, her tie loosely hung around her neck, giving off an effortlessly confident and nonchalant vibe. On her right wrist, a silver chain bracelet added to her intimidating yet fashionable appearance.
This was Rika Aoyama, the notorious delinquent of the school, well known to everyone.
Second-year, 17 years old.
Her grin spread from ear to ear, full of mischief and excitement.
"You are my type!" she declared, her voice laced with a playful yet dangerous edge as she grabbed Naoki by the collar, effortlessly lifting him off the ground.
Naoki barely had time to react before he found himself being yanked up by his collar, his feet barely touching the ground.
His brain scrambled to process everything—her sharp violet eyes, the grin that screamed trouble, the scratches on her knuckles like they were fresh souvenirs from a fight.
Wait.
Did she just say "You're my type"?!
Hibiki and Rurika, who had been walking behind him, froze mid-step, eyes wide.
Hibiki was the first to break the silence.
"Uh… congratulations?" he whispered, sounding more amused than concerned.
Rurika, however, wasn't laughing. "Put him down, Rika," she said, crossing her arms.
Rika didn't even glance at her. She just tilted her head, studying Naoki like he was a rare animal.
"Hmm… Not bad. You got guts, stepping up to those idiots yesterday. You're stupid—but I like that," she mused, her grip still firm on his collar.
Naoki gulped. "Uh, thanks? But, uh… can you put me down?"
Rika chuckled, finally letting go, and he stumbled slightly, fixing his uniform.
Then, she leaned in close, lowering her voice so only he could hear.
"Rika Aoyama. Remember that, Nishikawa-kun," she whispered, walking past him with a carefree grin and attitude, as if she had just given him a challenge he wasn't sure he could meet.
Naoki stood frozen for a moment, his mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened. The words tumbled out of his mouth, almost on instinct.
"What… the hell… was that?" he muttered under his breath, still reeling from the encounter.