At that thought, she pushed up her glasses and strode toward the classroom, determined to get to the bottom of things before the situation escalated any further.
"Classmate Shiina, could you come here for a moment?" As soon as she reached the classroom door, the homeroom teacher spotted Shiina Mahiru surrounded by people and called out to her.
"Wow, the teacher's calling you."
"It must be about the speech later. Good luck!"
"Giving a speech in front of so many people sounds terrifying just thinking about it~ As expected of Classmate Shiina!"
"..."
"Please excuse me." With that, Shiina Mahiru walked over, equally puzzled.
She had no idea why the teacher had called her out. She had never heard there would be such a step before.
The homeroom teacher led her to an empty corner, then turned around and carefully examined her delicate little face before asking worriedly, "Classmate Shiina, are you all right?"
"...Which aspect do you mean, Teacher?" Shiina Mahiru was even more confused.
"I mean... well, I heard your older sister might be coming later. Is that true?" Her tone was vague. It was the first time she had looked so awkward in front of a student, as though she were the one being called out for a talk.
"Ah, that... Teacher heard about it too?" Shiina Mahiru realized what she meant and felt helpless at how quickly the rumor had spread. "Yes, that's right."
"But you don't seem to have an older sister listed on the family information form?"
"That's right. Um, she's an older sister I met outside of school. We aren't related by blood."
"I see." The homeroom teacher relaxed. As long as it was not made up, everything was fine. She smiled encouragingly. "Got it. Then do your best later! Our school's honor is in your hands!"
"Teacher... saying that just puts even more pressure on me."
"Ah, that does seem to be true. Pretend I didn't say anything!"
Shiina Mahiru felt a little warmth in her heart at the concern. She was smart, so she could naturally guess what the teacher had wanted to convey.
"Then I'll be going now." She gave a sincere bow and returned to the classroom.
"Is this the place?"
After getting out of the car, Sakurakoji Talent stopped before the school gate, where a white signboard stood. Once he confirmed that it really said this was the graduation ceremony venue, he entered the unfamiliar school.
Although it was his first time here, one glance around was enough for him to quickly locate the teaching building, his destination. Plenty of parents and students were entering and leaving it.
His appearance and aura, far surpassing ordinary people, quickly drew the attention of a large number of nearby parents and students. Their eyes unconsciously followed his retreating figure.
"That person is so pretty... Is she a student here too?"
"Idiot, she isn't wearing a school uniform, so obviously not!"
"Then she's a teacher or a parent?"
"Shouldn't the teachers all be wearing uniforms today? She must be a parent."
"I wonder if she's married. I think I've fallen in love again."
"Moron, what kind of stupid nonsense is that? Don't you already have two children? Besides, since she's attending as a parent, maybe she's here for her child's graduation ceremony too."
"Wouldn't that be even better?"
"..."
"..."
Unaware that people behind him had somehow made him out to be a married woman with children, Sakurakoji Talent followed the signs beside the classroom doors as he searched for Shiina Mahiru's classroom.
"Mm, this should be it, right?"
Looking at the classroom number matching the one on his phone, Sakurakoji Talent murmured softly.
Walking to the window, he spotted Shiina Mahiru at once through the open glass pane. She was surrounded by people at the center of the crowd.
What, she was pretty popular after all. Sakurakoji Talent felt somewhat relieved.
"Mahiru!" Since he was disguised, he had to restrain his movements. He raised a pale hand to his mouth to project his voice and called out a little louder.
"?" Shiina Mahiru had not heard anyone call her by name for quite some time, so she did not react at first. Only after a classmate beside her reminded her did she look out the window.
The instant she recognized that familiar face and the striking long, straight white hair, her amber eyes widened in shock as she cried out in disbelief, "Sister Ogura!"
Her uncontrolled voice immediately drew everyone's attention over. Under the gazes of every student, parent, and teacher in the classroom and hallway—
An angel had descended upon the classroom!
Sakurakoji Talent felt dozens, perhaps hundreds, of eyes locking onto him in an instant. His expression stiffened as he failed to understand what was happening.
What was going on? Why was everyone staring at me? And why did it suddenly get so quiet? Don't tell me I'm wanted or something?
Just as the silence was about to suffocate him, deafening uproar erupted!
"Classmate Shiina! Could this be..."
"Yes, she's the older sister I mentioned before." A faint, relieved smile rested on Shiina Mahiru's lips as she happily explained.
"Unbelievable! I'm sorry for saying this, but I think she really is even more beautiful than Classmate Shiina!"
"Huh, huh? Huh! This is Classmate Shiina's older sister?! Are we sure she isn't some celebrity?"
"So handsome! I think I've fallen in love!"
"She's so fashionable and trendy, even prettier than a model!" The female students' eyes sparkled with stars as they struggled to contain their admiration.
"Damn! She looks even better than VA-sensei's photo books!" The adolescent boys stared with their jaws hanging open, exclaiming in disbelief.
As a result, those insulting remarks—or at least, remarks the girls considered insulting—were swiftly met with a barrage of books and stationery from the many girls in the class, who cursed the speakers out loudly.
"Drop dead, pervert!"
"Drop dead, useless waste of food!"
"Drop dead, scum who insulted Big Sister!"
"Drop dead, filthy insects that only produce white liquid!"
"..."
Image: "Graduating Shiina Mahiru", location: "Images/1756120467-100446961-113768296.jpg"
Volume One: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: You Finally Said Something Useful Today
Shocked by the inexplicable brawl erupting before him, Sakurakoji Talent stared blankly at the chaotic spectacle. Was this really the prestigious school with the exceptionally high advancement rate described in the materials? Was it not some hot-blooded delinquent school instead?
He watched their full-on fight in a daze. Only after the girls secured a complete victory and beat the boys back step by step did he remember why he had come. He quickly looked toward Shiina Mahiru and beckoned to her.
"Excuse me!" Shiina Mahiru gave a light bow to the classmates around her, then jogged out of the classroom.
"Sister Ogura! You really came!" Reaching the hallway, Shiina Mahiru said excitedly to Ogura Asahi.
"Of course I did. I said I would come, didn't I? Looks like you still didn't believe me." Sakurakoji Talent teased her.
"Um..." Shiina Mahiru lowered her head awkwardly. Until just now, she really had not quite believed Sister Ogura would come.
"Forget it, that isn't important. Here, this is for you." Sakurakoji Talent handed her an unbranded bag similar to the clothing bags found in department stores. "Congratulations on graduating."
"This is?" Shiina Mahiru carefully accepted it, her face full of disbelief. "Don't tell me... this is for me?"
"Who else would it be for?" Sakurakoji Talent gave her a strange look.
"Because... no one has ever given me a gift before." Shiina Mahiru could not hide her excitement. Her eyes even reddened slightly as she peeked inside the bag and asked curiously, "May I open it?"
"Of course. It belongs to you now."
"Thank you so much, Sister Ogura!"
Shiina Mahiru carefully took the item out and spread it flat. Her expression became even more astonished. If both hands had not been occupied holding it, she would surely have covered her mouth and nose to stop herself from making a sound.
"This is..."
"An outfit I designed and made for you. What do you think? Do you like it?" Sakurakoji Talent was overflowing with confidence. This was practically a hereditary skill in his family.
"I like it!" Shiina Mahiru nodded heavily, tears shimmering in her eyes as she became completely captivated by the work of art before her.
Forget about how beautiful this gift was. Even if it had only been an ordinary glass marble, she would still have said she liked it.
"But such beautiful clothes must have cost a lot, right?" Shiina Mahiru fell into conflict. "Actually, it would have been fine even without such an expensive gift."
"It didn't cost much. I told you, I designed and made it myself. The only real expense was the material cost." Sakurakoji Talent comforted her.
Though the materials for such fine fabric had not been cheap either, and his personal labor was even more valuable. He left that part unsaid.
"You designed and made it yourself, Sister Ogura?" Shiina Mahiru exclaimed, looking at her with admiration.
"Yeah. Don't let my appearance fool you—I'm a designer too. So? Not bad, right?"
"More than not bad! It's absolutely no worse than the limited products from famous brands!"
Just from the texture beneath her fingers, she knew it had to be a high-end piece. The unique design was something she had never seen before, yet the harmony and intricacy it revealed made it obvious at a glance that it was anything but simple.
She looked at Sister Ogura again in amazement. She had never expected her to possess such an incredible talent as well.
What moved her most was the effort and sincerity contained within it—everything had been personally handled by the other party. Compared to expensive products casually bought with money, this item, which gathered so much emotion within it, struck directly at her heart.
For the first time in her life, she had received such a precious gift.
She hugged the brand-new clothes tightly against herself. Her body trembled as tears finally slipped down her cheeks. "Thank you!"
"Thank you, Sister Ogura! I'll treasure it as a lifelong heirloom!"
"Well, as long as you like it." Sakurakoji Talent scratched his head awkwardly. He had not expected her reaction to be so intense.
It was only a handmade gift. It was certainly worth being happy about, but was there really any need to get this excited?
"All right, all right. The ceremony is about to start, isn't it? Let's head back first?" Feeling more and more gazes being drawn over by Shiina Mahiru's crying, Sakurakoji Talent hurriedly stopped her from continuing.
"Okay!" After wiping away her tears, Shiina Mahiru's lovely face was as bright as a sunflower beneath clear skies.
After putting the clothes away, the two returned to the classroom. They still needed to wait for the staff and teachers to guide them later.
"Classmate Shiina, is this your older sister?" Seeing Sakurakoji Talent walking alongside her, the homeroom teacher covered her mouth in astonishment.
She had never expected the rumor to be true. Shiina Mahiru's older sister, whom no one had ever met, was truly this dazzling and outstanding!
"Hello, I'm Mahiru's older sister, Ogura Asahi. Thank you for taking care of her in the past, Teacher." Sakurakoji Talent stepped forward, smiling as he shook her hand in thanks.
"No, not at all! Classmate Shiina has always been outstanding. If anything, she has helped me quite a lot!" The teacher hurriedly replied.
After chatting with her for a while, Sakurakoji Talent said to Shiina Mahiru, "Then I'll head to the auditorium first. See you after it's over?"
"Okay!"
Watching her graceful departing figure, the homeroom teacher let out a sigh of relief. In the face of that powerful presence, she had somehow felt as constrained as an elementary school student...
"She really is an older sister you can be proud of." Looking at the joy on Shiina Mahiru's face, an expression she had never seen before, the teacher sighed warmly.
"Mm!" Shiina Mahiru nodded firmly.
Sakurakoji Talent found an empty seat in the middle rows of the auditorium and waited quietly for the ceremony to begin. Many parents who had arrived early had already gathered in the venue, so he was considered rather late.
Before long, the students were led in by the teachers and took their seats one after another. Sakurakoji Talent quickly spotted Shiina Mahiru, whose figure seemed as if it were under a spotlight. He raised a hand to catch the attention of Shiina Mahiru, who was looking around for him.
Once she really saw Sister Ogura, Shiina Mahiru revealed a relieved expression and turned back to sit down. Still, she would occasionally look back at her.
Soon, the ceremony officially began. The principal and dean of studies went onstage first to deliver their speeches.
"Miss, are you here for today's graduation ceremony too?" While Sakurakoji Talent was bored, the male parent sitting beside him asked.
Sakurakoji Talent narrowed his eyes at him. The man had slicked-back hair, gold-rimmed glasses, and a cheap suit worth several hundred thousand yen. He looked like a somewhat successful but despicable elite.
"What kind of question is that? If I'm sitting here, am I attending the ceremony or here to eat?" he replied casually, his tone utterly uninterested.
If it had not been for Shiina Mahiru, he would have punched the man and walked straight out the door already.
"Uh..."
His words embarrassed the man and drew a wave of quiet snickering from the parents around them. They were all amazed by Sakurakoji Talent's appearance and temperament, but none had dared approach him. Seeing someone get rebuffed like this was naturally entertaining.
"I misspoke. May I ask which member of your family you're here to support today?" Seeing that the other party was not falling for it, the man could only change the subject.
"My younger sister."
Before you continue