Multi-Anime, Kira Yoshikage Yearns for a Peaceful Life

"But shouldn't a girl like that be going to Pure Academy?"

"Idiot, if you transfer mid-term, even if you're rich, you can only go to Mixed Academy!"

Bang! Bang!

Hiratsuka Shizuka slapped the podium and said loudly:

"Quiet!"

The classroom instantly fell silent.

Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded in satisfaction:

"Nakano-san, you can sit over there."

She pointed to the empty seat behind Kira Yoshikage.

"Okay."

Nakano Mayu, with a polite smile, showed no resistance as she walked toward the last row.

As she passed Kira Yoshikage, the girl flashed a smile:

"Please take care of me."

Kira Yoshikage, who had been pretending to look out the window, hoping to be ignored, turned his head and gave a slight nod:

"Hello."

Nakano Mayu seemed to let out a sigh of relief as she sat down behind Kira Yoshikage.

Hiratsuka Shizuka's lips curled slightly at the scene, but she quickly hid it, turning to the blackboard to start the lesson.

Nakano Mayu poked Kira Yoshikage's back and handed him a note.

Kira Yoshikage took the note, unfolded it, and glanced at it:

"About what happened at noon, I'm really sorry. I was a bit dazed and didn't mean it."

"My name is Nakano Mayu. Can we get to know each other?"

Seeing Kira Yoshikage take the note, Nakano Mayu waited anxiously, muttering to herself:

"This should be fine, right?"

After a few seconds, she felt the desk move.

In a daze, she realized Kira Yoshikage had passed a note back from under the desk.

Carefully taking the note, she tucked it between her textbooks and secretly unfolded it:

"Could you please not talk to me? It would disturb my studies."

"Mmph~"

Nakano Mayu's face flushed red, and she puffed out her cheeks in anger.

What the heck! She had finally mustered the courage to apologize, and all she got was blame and distance.

Fine, don't talk to me then! As if she cared!

Chapter 30: Love Beat? Just Toilet Paper

Academy, Chairman's Office.

Shinomiya Unkō looked at Shinomiya Kaguya, who was sitting on the sofa across from him, slightly surprised:

"Work-Study Program?"

"Yes."

Shinomiya Kaguya took a sip of the black tea on the table, her tone calm without a ripple:

"For ordinary people, the annual tuition of 1.5 million yen at Shuchiin Academy is a heavy burden. So, I hope to provide whatever help I can to ease the financial strain on Mixed Academy students."

Shinomiya Unkō raised an eyebrow, gaining a bit of newfound respect for his younger sister.

In fact, Shuchiin Academy had a dedicated scholarship fund for Mixed Academy students, but scholarships could only be awarded to a small number of students with outstanding academic performance and top rankings.

For the vast majority of students, scholarships were just a tempting but unreachable carrot. The 'Work-Study Program' slots Shinomiya Kaguya offered could fully satisfy more students with such aspirations.

And while the two approaches differed, their purpose was the same: to make Mixed Academy students feel indebted to those who showed them favor.

By doing this, his sister was essentially poaching his turf.

In other words, the two were in competition on this front.

So...

Shinomiya Unkō thought for a moment and nodded:

"No problem, I agree. How many 'Work-Study Program' slots can you provide?"

Shinomiya Unkō didn't care whether his sister was trying to steal his thunder; he simply didn't care, because this thunder was never his to begin with.

The chairman of Shuchiin Academy was originally Shinomiya Kōkō, his good older brother and the most likely heir to the Shinomiya Family's next head. And he, Shinomiya Unkō, was merely the third son born to the second wife, with the weakest faction in the Shinomiya Family.

The only reason he became chairman of Shuchiin Academy was because Shinomiya Kōkō had made a mistake and angered the old man. Shinomiya Unkō didn't even know what Shinomiya Kōkō had done wrong, and he had no confidence in keeping his chairman position.

So rather than rejecting Shinomiya Kaguya outright, it was better to do her a favor.

This way, he might even pull Shinomiya Kaguya over to his side—

Originally, Shinomiya Kaguya had no faction at all, so she didn't even qualify to participate in the heir competition. But last week, the old man ordered Shinomiya Kōkō to transfer full ownership of a small company to Shinomiya Kaguya, which meant the old man had tacitly allowed her to join this race.

Even if she couldn't win in the end, with that small company earning 50 billion yen annually, she at least wouldn't be reduced to a discarded pawn.

Hmm, thinking about it this way.

They were all direct beneficiaries of Shinomiya Kōkō's mistake...

Shinomiya Unkō was in the middle of a brainstorming session when he heard Shinomiya Kaguya speak calmly from across the table:

"Ministop has a total of 93 branches in Tokyo's 23 Wards, with 50 of them located in the central six wards and the southern district. I've already issued a notice that each branch can offer one part-time position. For now, we can calculate based on 50 people."

Shinomiya Unkō thought for a moment and gave a slight nod:

"Agreed."

Shinomiya Kaguya's expression remained impassive, but her mood brightened.

Kira Yoshikage, as one of the 50 part-time students, wouldn't draw anyone's attention—

This was her perfect plan!

At the entrance of Shuchiin Academy, Kashiwagi Nagisa, wearing a Disciplinary Committee armband and having been on duty for a full week, bit her lip tightly, visible disappointment in her eyes:

"Still nothing?"

For an entire week, she had rushed to the school gate every morning at seven, waiting until the bell rang to return to class. In the afternoon, she even left class ten minutes early to get to the gate, waiting until seven in the evening, but every time, she came up empty.

Kashiwagi Nagisa lowered her head dejectedly and murmured softly:

"Why is this? Could it be that he really isn't a Shuchiin student?"

There were many blonde male students at Shuchiin Academy, but none matched the person in her memory. It wasn't just a matter of facial resemblance; even their height fell far short.

As she was lost in thought, Kashiwagi Nagisa caught a glimpse of two figures walking past her—Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai.

"Shinomiya..."

Kashiwagi Nagisa instinctively wanted to call out to her, but before she could speak, another thought suddenly struck her—why hadn't Shinomiya Kaguya asked her about that person today?

Every day before, she had asked to confirm whether Kashiwagi had found him.

But why didn't she ask today?

Had Shinomiya Kaguya given up? Given up faster than her?

Or had she already confirmed who that person was, so she no longer needed to ask?

Kashiwagi Nagisa frowned slightly. Shinomiya Kaguya's sudden change in behavior made her keenly aware of one fact: Shinomiya Kaguya was trying to get a head start!

At that thought, Kashiwagi Nagisa's eyes sharpened instantly!

At the top floor of the Okura Hotel, Angel's Ladder.

Ding-dong~!

The elevator doors slid open slowly. An adult woman in Office Lady attire, with a slender figure and shapely legs sheathed in black stockings, walked toward the bar alongside another girl with equally straight, beautiful legs in black tights, but wearing a JK uniform.

The black-haired woman in the OL outfit wrapped her arm around the JK girl's and coaxed her gently:

"Shi-chan, cheer up a little. There's still a chance, you know."

The JK girl with long black hair and a headband bit her lip, her mood low:

"You don't need to comfort me. With results this poor, cancellation is almost a certainty."

"Maah, maah~"

Machida Sonoko felt a bit helpless. This kid was great in every way except for being stubborn.

Once she set her mind on something, there was no pulling her back. Though, the results really were a bit bad...

Machida Sonoko sighed, took a seat on a high stool at the counter, and looked at the tall, blonde-haired bartender:

"A Gin and Tonic, please."

"Understood."

Kira Yoshikage responded smoothly, taking gin and tonic water from the shelf and beginning to mix.

The JK girl with long black hair, as if trying to drown her sorrows, gritted her teeth and said:

"I'll have a Long Island Iced Tea!"

"Shi-chan."

Machida Sonoko sounded a bit resigned but didn't stop her.

Soon, two drinks were set before them.

Machida Sonoko took a light sip, and her eyes lit up immediately.

Kasumigaoka Utaha hesitated, then gritted her teeth and tilted her head back, ready to down it in one gulp.

"Sweet?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha froze, a flicker of doubt crossing her face. Was alcohol supposed to taste like this?

Kira Yoshikage wiped down the counter, his tone flat:

"Black tea is naturally sweet."

"Black tea?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha frowned in displeasure:

"I ordered a Long Island Iced Tea, and you give me black tea? Is this how your waitstaff treats customers?"

Kira Yoshikage's reply remained calm:

"The customer is king, but minors are prohibited from drinking alcohol."

"Tch."

Kasumigaoka Utaha clicked her tongue in annoyance, then picked up the glass and took another sip.

It was actually pretty good.

She was in a bad mood, but there was no need to take it out on a waiter.

She could at least tell that much.

"Well, well."

Machida Sonoko chuckled: "Shi-chan, minors really shouldn't be drinking, you know~. Besides, the sales aren't that bad. If I push for it, there might be a chance to get a third volume published."