The Gatekeeper

Fine cherry blossom petals drifted down with the wind, carpeting the stone path leading to the school gate.

A girl stood there.

Her features were as delicate as a painting—a straight nose bridge, lips tinted a pale cherry pink, and skin so fair it seemed almost translucent in the morning light.

She wore a crisp new uniform: a rose-colored knit top paired with a white pleated skirt, revealing straight, slender legs. Her long, light-yellow hair fell softly past her waist, draped over her shoulders.

The girl tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd streaming through the school gate. She stood quietly, her bag strap hanging at her side, as if waiting for someone.

Whispers from passing students spread like a tide.

"Hey, hey, that girl..."

"A first-year like us? A freshman?"

"No way, if she were that pretty and a freshman, we'd know—"

"Holy crap, she just looked this way!"

"Is she a model? She's gotta be a model, right?"

"You idiot, why would a model wear our school uniform—"

Tsubaki Yuki seemed oblivious to the commotion around her. She stood still, her gaze drifting past the crowd, fixed on the slope leading to the bus stop down the road.

A breeze occasionally lifted the stray strands near her temple, and she would gently brush them back.

Not far from her, a man in his fifties stood in a crisp suit, his face full of words left unsaid.

Matsuo pulled out his phone, glanced at it, then put it back. Finally, he couldn't hold back. "Miss Yuki."

Tsubaki Yuki didn't turn around.

"...Young Master Yuto might have his own reasons, perhaps."

Tsubaki Yuki's expression was eerily calm. "His own reasons?"

"...Yes, ma'am."

"Sneaking off alone, not calling me, not saying a word. I was happily going to pick him up this morning for school together, and I got stood up."

"Miss, Young Master Yuto..." Matsuo chose his words carefully. "It is the first day of school, after all. Maybe he was just too excited?"

Tsubaki Yuki finally turned her head and looked at him. "Uncle Matsuo, you don't have to make excuses for him."

Matsuo gave a wry smile. "Miss Yuki, I'm not making excuses. I'm just worried you'll get tired standing here so long."

After her original master, Ayanokoji Atsuomi, was assassinated, the Tsubaki Family had taken in Matsuo and his son, giving him a job as their butler. He had always treated the two young ladies of the Tsubaki Family like his own daughters.

"Thank you, but I'm not tired. I'm standing somewhere visible so Yuto can spot me at a glance.

"Besides, if I do the math—we arrived at Yuto's place at eight this morning and found out he'd left half an hour ago. It took us twenty minutes to drive here. Yuto probably took the bus, which would take about an hour. It's eight-thirty now, which means Yuto should be arriving."

As she spoke, Tsubaki Yuki's gaze landed on several buses that had just pulled in, students filing off in an orderly fashion.

She was certain Yuto was on one of them.

Matsuo shook his head with a sigh. "Young Master Yuto, all options are exhausted. May you fare well."

Amasawa Yuto seized his chance, blending into the crowd as he got off the bus, using the bus stop sign as cover to make sure Tsubaki Yuki didn't spot him right away.

Matsuo was there too—no surprise, since he was Tsubaki Yuki's driver and butler.

Alright, the problem now was how to get past Tsubaki Yuki, who was planted right at the school gate, and slip onto campus.

He should've let Ichinose and Amikura go on ahead just now—then he could've used them to distract Yuki.

But then again... had she been standing here for ten minutes? Amasawa Yuto did a quick calculation. If Tsubaki Yuki had stationed herself at the gate the moment she arrived, it should be about right.

He felt a twinge of guilt. She might have deliberately stood somewhere conspicuous so he'd see her, but even so, standing her up was his fault to begin with.

Just then, Amasawa Yuto spotted an opportunity.

From another bus nearby, a strikingly handsome man stepped off with long, confident strides.

"Hahaha! So this is the school I'll be attending for the next three years? Truly a fitting destination for someone as beautiful as me, hahaha!"

The golden-haired man strode toward the school gate, making no effort to hide his bold, hearty laughter. Amasawa Yuto could hear him clearly from over ten meters away.

But because of that, everyone's attention was drawn to this eccentric character—even Tsubaki Yuki's, as she instinctively glanced at Koenji.

Thanks, Koenji.

Koenji had no idea he'd just been silently thanked.

Amasawa Yuto considered whether to seize this chance, slipping past Tsubaki Yuki while blending in with a few other guys.

Once he was inside, he'd text her to stop waiting.

He knew she'd chew him out afterward.

Just as Amasawa Yuto was mulling it over, a cold, indifferent voice came from behind him. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Amasawa Yuto felt a bit exasperated. It was like playing an FPS, creeping around listening for footsteps, only to have a teammate accidentally fire off a shot.

He turned to look at the girl who had spoken. Black hair, red eyes, long locks loose, but with one strand braided into a thin plait hanging to the side.

Her features were quite pretty. If not for that stern, unsmiling expression, she'd probably score even higher points.

Don't you think so, Horikita Suzune?

"Didn't you hear me? I asked what you're doing. You've been staring at that girl for a while now, haven't you? A peeping tom?" Horikita Suzune shot him a disgusted look. "You're decent-looking, but your behavior is disgusting."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it had already drawn the attention of some classmates.

Amasawa Yuto knew hiding any further was pointless. Thanks entirely to Horikita Suzune, his only option left was to be discovered by Tsubaki Yuki.

Back when he watched the anime, he already knew that Horikita Suzune, this female lead, was purely someone who couldn't accomplish anything but could ruin everything—mediocre yet pretentious, acting like everyone owed her something.

He could understand the author wanting to craft a female lead with room to grow, but the ending of the first season was very awkward. What was Class D's one and only big win relying on?

It relied on Horikita Suzune dropping out and not taking the exam.

So basically, you not participating is your greatest contribution to the class.

That narrative technique was way too ironic. Was the author really not holding a grudge against Horikita?

He absolutely did not want to be assigned to Class D. If he was, well, then he'd pool money to transfer classes.

As they talked, Tsubaki Yuki indeed noticed him.

Found you, Yuto.

Tsubaki Yuki was overjoyed, eager to go greet him, then suddenly remembered.

Wait, her current setting was that she was supposed to be angry. How could she pretend nothing happened and greet Yuto?

Thinking this, she deliberately stiffened her face again.

Matsuo, standing nearby, took in the young lady's changing expressions. Sigh, the young lady had reached that age too.

Tsubaki Yuki clasped her hands behind her back and deliberately walked slowly toward the bus stop where Yuto was. After just two steps, she stopped.

The deliberately cold expression she'd put on was no longer needed.

It had become even icier.

Yuto was still Yuto, looking just as handsome in his school uniform.

But Tsubaki Yuki couldn't appreciate the sight of Yuto in his uniform right now.

There was something more urgent to confirm.

And that was—who was that black-haired, red-eyed girl beside him?