"Yo~~~ Welcome to Sakurasou Hall!"
As soon as Shiro Sakamaki stepped inside, a bright and energetic voice greeted him. Even without looking, he could already guess—it had to be Misaki Kamiigusa.
"Na~ you're the new junior Teacher Chihiro mentioned, right? The one from abroad? I'm Misaki Kamiigusa! Nice to meet you!"
"Hello, senior Misaki-san. I'm also very glad to meet such a lovely senior."
"Hehe~ where, where~ you're smooth with words, aren't you?"
"Oh right! Let me introduce you—this here is Mitaka Jin. And then there's Akasaka Ryunosuke, but he rarely ever leaves his room."
Shiro nodded politely to Mitaka Jin. He had seen The Pet Girl of Sakurasou in his previous life—not the full series, but enough to remember this so-called "harem king" and his complicated lifestyle. Shiro didn't judge him, though; he neither liked nor disliked the guy.
But Akasaka Ryunosuke—that one intrigued him.
Even in a world teeming with curses and supernatural beings, society still functioned like a modern world. A skilled programmer like Ryunosuke would always be in demand. There might even be a way to collaborate with him in the future.
"Senior Misaki-san, it's getting late. Are we eating soon?"
"I heard from Chihiro that tonight's dinner is hot pot. I didn't know what to bring on my first day, so I went ahead and got a little something—just twenty servings of Wagyu beef."
He stepped aside and revealed the bags behind him—premium marbled Wagyu, neatly packed and beautifully presented. The sheer volume made it look like a catering delivery.
"Oooh!! It's Wagyu! Junior, you're amazing! Just look at that beautiful marbling!"
"Jin, help me carry this to the kitchen!"
Misaki's eyes practically sparkled as she called over Mitaka Jin, who adjusted his glasses with a thoughtful expression. This junior isn't ordinary, he thought. Even if it's domestic Wagyu, twenty servings is no small expense.
"Ah, it's alright, Misaki-senpai, no need to trouble Jin. I've got it."
With that, Shiro easily lifted the entire load with one hand, as if it weighed nothing, and followed Misaki to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Ryunosuke sent a greeting through his phone using his AI assistant—his maid program. It counted as a proper introduction, given the circumstances.
In fact, when Shiro had arrived the night before, he already knew that nothing escaped Ryunosuke's awareness in this dorm—aside from the girls' rooms and bathrooms. At the time, Ryunosuke had been rushing a tight deadline on a major contract, working through the night. He hadn't bothered to leave his room.
Originally, Misaki had planned to make green onion fish hot pot, but after seeing the pile of Wagyu, the plan was scrapped on the spot.
Tonight was now an official Wagyu beef hot pot party.
The kitchen buzzed with energy as everyone jumped in to help. In no time, the ingredients were prepped, the broth was boiling, and the table was set.
"I'm moving in!" Misaki shouted with glee.
"This is amazing! Eating this much Wagyu at once—what a treat!"
"Hey, hey, Shiro-kun~ why not just move into Sakura Hall? I'm sure Chihiro-sensei wouldn't mind!"
Chihiro downed her beer in one smooth gulp and sighed in satisfaction as she bit into a juicy slice of beef.
"If it were up to me, I'd say yes. But this is Suimei University of the Arts' dorm, and Shiro, you're technically not a student here. It'd be… complicated."
"Ehh? That's so unfair!"
Mitaka Jin chuckled. "Come on, Misaki, don't put sensei on the spot. Even if Shiro-kun lived here, he couldn't keep feeding you Wagyu every week."
"Hmph, I don't care about that! I just think it'd be fun! But fine, Shiro-kun, you have to invite us over when you get your own place!"
"Deal," Shiro laughed. "You're all welcome any time."
"Alright, alright—enough talk! Let's eat before the broth evaporates."
With that, Shiro grabbed a generous piece of beef and dipped it into the simmering pot. His eating was surprisingly elegant despite his speed—every bite polished off with grace and rhythm.
By the end of the meal, nearly two-thirds of the meat had gone into his stomach, along with a hefty amount of vegetables. His appetite earned more than a few glances.
Chihiro, of course, knew why. That kind of metabolism and capacity came from years of cultivating martial arts and refining one's physical body. Not just anyone could achieve it.
She herself lacked that kind of talent—one of the reasons she couldn't compete for succession in her family and had chosen a quiet life as a teacher.
Still, she had no complaints. Her life was fulfilling. The only real regret, she thought with a tinge of melancholy, was that—like her best friend—she was still unmarried.
After dinner, as per dorm tradition, it was not the teacher's job to wash dishes. Misaki had handled the cooking, Ryunosuke footed the bill, and Shiro brought the beef.
So the responsibility fell squarely on Mitaka Jin, who cleaned up while Misaki dragged Shiro off to play games.
It was a shooting game—one Shiro had never played before. But with his reflexes and hand speed, he quickly outpaced Misaki's scores, much to her disbelief.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was past eleven.
Just then, Shiro's phone rang, interrupting their game. He glanced at the screen—Hiratsuka Shizuka?
That was unexpected.
"Senior Misaki, I'll take this call. You can rest for now."
"Okay~ that's all for today. But next time, we're having a rematch!"
"Looking forward to it."
He stepped into the hallway and answered.
"Shiro Sakamaki," came Hiratsuka's voice. "You interested in making a little extra money?"
"..."
"Hey, you alive over there?"
"I mean, Hiratsuka-sensei… it's almost midnight. Calling your student at this hour just to talk about side jobs—isn't that a bit… off?"
"Cut the crap. If you're not interested, I'll find someone else."
"Tch. Whether there's money or not isn't the point. You know me—I just love solving people's problems. So… let's hear it."
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