The Gatekeeper

The cherry blossoms drifted down in tiny petals, covering the stone path that led to the school gates.

A girl stood there.

Her features were exquisitely delicate, like a painting. She had a straight, elegant nose, soft cherry-pink lips, and skin so fair it seemed almost translucent in the morning light.

She wore a brand-new uniform: a rose-pink sweater and a white pleated skirt that showed off her long, slender legs. Her pale yellow hair fell smoothly down her back to her waist.

She tilted her head slightly and scanned the crowds passing through the school gates. Then she stood quietly, her schoolbag strap hanging at her side, as if she were waiting for someone.

Whispers from passing students spread like a rising tide.

"Hey, hey, that girl..."

"Is she a first-year like us? A new student?"

"No way. If someone that pretty were a new student, how would we not know about her—"

"Holy crap, she's looking this way!"

"Is she a model? She's definitely a model, right?"

"Are you stupid? Why would a model be wearing our school uniform—"

Tsubaki Yuki seemed completely oblivious to the commotion around her. She stood quietly, her gaze passing over the crowd and settling on the slope in the distance that led to the bus stop.

Now and then, the breeze ruffled the loose strands by her temples, and she gently brushed them aside.

Not far from her stood a man in his fifties, impeccably dressed in a suit. Yet his face was full of things left unsaid.

Matsuo took his phone out of his pocket and glanced at it, then put it away again. At last, he couldn't hold back. "Miss Yuki."

Tsubaki Yuki didn't turn around.

"...Young Master Yuto may have his own reasons."

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

"...Y-yes."

"He sneaks off by himself without telling me or giving me any warning. I was so excited to pick him up this morning and come to school with him, but he wasn't there."

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

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

Matsuo smiled wryly. "Miss Yuki, I'm not making excuses for him. I'm just worried you'll get tired standing here so long."

After their former master, Ayanokoji Atsuomi, was assassinated, the Tsubaki Family took in Matsuo and his son after they lost their jobs, and made Matsuo their butler. He had always treated the two young ladies of the family like his own daughters.

"Thank you, but I'm fine. I need to stand somewhere conspicuous so Yuto can spot me at a glance.

"And if I work it out, we arrived at Yuto's house at eight this morning and found out he'd left half an hour earlier. It takes us twenty minutes to drive here, and Yuto should be coming by bus, which takes about an hour. It's eight-thirty now, so he should be arriving."

As she spoke, Yuki looked toward the several buses that had just pulled in. Students were getting off in orderly lines.

She was absolutely certain Yuto was on one of them.

Matsuo shook his head and sighed. "Young Master Yuto, you've exhausted every option. Please take care of yourself."

Amasawa Yuto seized the moment and got off the bus amid the crowd. Using the bus stop sign as cover, he made sure Yuki wouldn't spot him right away.

Mr. Matsuo was there too. Amasawa Yuto wasn't surprised; he was Yuki's driver and butler, after all.

All right, the question was how to slip past Yuki, who was standing right at the school gates, and get onto campus.

If only he hadn't let Ichinose and Amikura go on ahead. He could have used them to draw Yuki's attention.

Come to think of it... Had she been standing here for ten minutes? Amasawa Yuto quickly worked out the timing. If Yuki had stationed herself at the gate as soon as they arrived, then that was about right.

He felt a little guilty. Maybe she'd deliberately stood somewhere conspicuous so he'd see her. But even so, he was the one who'd stood her up, so he was at fault.

Just then, Amasawa Yuto spotted an opportunity.

A handsome young man came striding off another bus nearby.

"Hahahaha! So this is the school I'll be attending for the next three years? What a perfect place for someone as beautiful as me! Hahaha!"

The blond man strode toward the school gates, making no attempt to hide his bold, hearty laughter. Amasawa Yuto could hear him from over ten meters away.

But that was exactly why everyone's attention was drawn to the oddball. Even Tsubaki Yuki instinctively looked toward Koenji.

Thank you, Koenji.

Koenji had no idea that someone was thanking him in secret.

Amasawa Yuto considered whether to take the opportunity and slip past Yuki alongside a few boys.

Once he got inside, he could message her and tell her not to wait.

He could already imagine the scolding she'd give him afterward.

As Amasawa Yuto mulled it over, a cold, emotionless voice suddenly came from behind him. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Amasawa Yuto was at a loss. It felt like sneaking around in an FPS, listening for information, only for his teammate behind him to accidentally fire off a shot.

He turned to look at the girl who'd spoken. She had black hair and red eyes, with long hair hanging loose, though one section was braided into a thin plait that fell over one shoulder.

She was very pretty. With an expression so stern and unsmiling, though, she'd have been even prettier without it.

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 quite a while. Are you a peeping tom?" Horikita Suzune gave him a disgusted look. "You're not bad-looking, but your behavior is disgusting."

Her voice wasn't loud, but she'd already attracted the attention of some nearby students.

Amasawa Yuto knew there was no point hiding anymore. Thanks to Horikita Suzune, his only option now was to let Tsubaki Yuki see him.

Watching the anime, he'd already known that Horikita Suzune, the heroine, was completely useless when it came to getting things done. She was all show and no substance, always acting like the world owed her something.

He could understand that the author wanted to create a heroine who would grow over time. But the ending of the first season was pretty ironic. What was the only match Class D won by a landslide?

Horikita Suzune dropped out and didn't take the exam.

So her not taking the exam was the greatest contribution she could make to the class.

That was such a ridiculous way to write it. Did the author have a grudge against Horikita or something?

He absolutely couldn't end up in Class D. If he did... well, he'd pool some money together and transfer classes.

As they talked, Tsubaki Yuki noticed them too.

There you are, Yuto.

Delighted, Yuki could hardly wait to go say hello to him. Then she suddenly remembered.

Wait, wasn't she supposed to be angry right now? How could she just act like nothing had happened and greet Yuto?

Thinking this, she deliberately put on a stern expression again.

Beside her, Matsuo took in every change in the young lady's expression. Ah, the young lady was at that age now.

With her hands behind her back, Yuki deliberately walked toward the bus stop sign where Yuto stood. After just two steps, she stopped.

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

It had grown even colder.

Yuto was still the same Yuto. Even in his school uniform, he was just as handsome.

But Yuki couldn't simply admire how Yuto looked in his uniform right now.

There was something more important to confirm.

Who was the black-haired, red-eyed girl standing next to him?