Put simply, there were just far, far, far too many people who disliked Yukino, making it impossible to tell which of them might be the boss the system had specifically highlighted in red that day.
The system had gone out of its way to warn her, so this person might actually be pretty dangerous.
After what happened yesterday, she'd sent Haruno a message, subtly reminding her to be careful.
But that busybody was so swamped that she didn't find the time to reply until that evening.
"Is Yukino worried because she's lonely? Does she miss her big sister?"
"Honestly, Yukino can't go a single day without her big sister. She's such a little kid~"
At the time, Yukino had nearly deleted Haruno's contact and blocked her without changing her expression.
Haruno was never serious around her, but otherwise she was quite reliable. Besides, the Yukinoshita Family had recently been aggressively expanding its business, and they had indeed attracted some envious attention.
Even if Haruno didn't realize it herself, their mother would make sure to step up her security. After all, she was the Yukinoshita Family's long-anticipated and much-admired heir.
As soon as foreign-language class ended, Miura wanted to get up and explain to Yukino that she had absolutely no interest in the boy who'd sent her a love letter. Besides, she really didn't like younger boys!
But just after the teacher left, someone suddenly knocked on the door of Class 2-F.
A few shy-looking first-year boys and girls stood outside.
"Senpai Miura..."
Miura looked at them in confusion, then suddenly realized.
No way, no way. Was that Gakushi Daishi coming straight to her class to confess?
This jealous girl Yukino had gotten furious just from seeing you hand over a love letter. Now she was going to see you come here in person to confess.
Buddy, I'm seriously worried about your safety!
Miura quickly nudged Junko, Kaho, and Yui, who were watching the commotion beside her. "Which one of them is Gakushi Daishi?"
Yui tugged at her hem. "It's Ishida, Student Ishida!"
Who cared about that right now?
The most important thing was to hurry up and reject Gakushi Ishida. They absolutely couldn't let Yukino assassinate him.
Otherwise, if a tragedy really happened, wouldn't Miura be deeply responsible? ╰(*?︶`*)╯
Junko looked at Miura in confusion. "Yumiko, you seem pretty happy. Do you really like that younger boy?"
Miura quickly schooled her expression and glared at Junko.
What was she talking about?
Yukino was already so angry. Don't provoke her any further!
Kaho studied the shy-looking boys and girls. "Huh? Gakushi Ishida isn't here."
Miura breathed a sigh of relief.
If he wasn't here, then Yukino probably wouldn't explode.
All's well that ends well!
Just then, one of the shy boys glanced at his watch.
"Senpai Miura, Ishida went to the school broadcasting station to work up the courage to confess to you."
"I hope you'll listen to what he has to say..."
Miura: ?????????
Stop talking!
Yukino, who loved her more than anyone in the world, couldn't hear this!
Sobu High School.
The school broadcast blared at a time when it wasn't supposed to, breaking the rules. At the same time, a clear, youthful voice gave a few quiet coughs before finally speaking.
"Hello, Senpai Miura. I'm Akiichi Ishida!"
His voice rang across the entire school. All the students who'd just gotten out of class and were chatting and laughing fell silent for a moment, then erupted into noise.
"Holy crap, it's a confession over the school broadcast!"
"Akiichi Ishida's got guts! He actually dared to hijack the school broadcast in broad daylight!"
"I heard Akiichi Ishida locked the broadcasting room from the inside. No one can get in to stop him!"
"Insane! Who opened the Broadcasting Station door for him? He'll be dragged to the discipline office for using the school broadcast at an unauthorized time, and the Broadcasting Station members who let him in will get chewed out too!"
"He's confessing to the legendary Senpai Miura! Ishida's amazing!"
"How romantic... Do you think Student Ishida will succeed?"
Even Class 1-D, which had been swept up in a wave of gossip just a few days earlier, was soon buzzing with excitement again.
Quite a few students leaned out of the windows to watch, looking toward the second-year building where the Broadcasting Station was.
After all, the star of the show was the famous Yumiko Miura, a well-known figure throughout the school.
She was the object of countless boys' secret crushes, and someone countless girls wanted to imitate and admired.
"Shoko, do you think Ishida will succeed?"
Iroha Isshiki spoke slowly, occasionally adding a gesture.
Shoko Nishimiya stared blankly for a moment, then wrote her reply in her notebook. Even the way she carefully wrote was gentle and lovely.
Her complexion was fair, her eyes gentle as water, her nose beautifully shaped, and her lips a lovely pale pink.
Even now, with the whole world bustling noisily around her, she had a quiet, unhurried sense of calm.
Iroha was beginning to understand why the person who'd written that post hadn't transferred Nishimiya to another class, away from Class 1-D, where a group-isolation incident had taken place not long ago.
Shoko Nishimiya was simply too out of step with the world.
She was far too kind and far too quick to forgive others. Even people like Kuraki and Yoshida could receive her smile again.
Shoko Nishimiya was so gentle, but most of the time, the world wasn't gentle at all.
No matter what other class she was moved to, the unfamiliar surroundings and classmates she'd have to get to know all over again would probably only wear her down.
Only in Class 1-D, within this little world that had managed to maintain some semblance of balance, could Nishimiya just barely learn to grow.
[I don't think she'll say yes.]
After thinking it over, she continued writing:
[Because I don't think Senpai Miura is the type to like a confession like this.]
Shoko really was an exceptionally perceptive and sensitive person.
In this kind of situation, Senpai Miura would probably only feel awkward.
Meanwhile, the dramatic confession over the broadcasting system continued.
"Senpai Miura, from the first moment I saw you, I started believing in love at first sight!"
"Senpai Miura, I've already applied to join the school disciplinary committee. I want to become someone who can help you, and even more than that, I hope to become someone you can rely on!"
"Senpai Miura, I'm only one year younger than you, but I'm confident that my feelings for you are greater than everyone else's combined. I'm even more confident that my love for you will never lose to Senpai Hayama's!"
In Class 2-F, Hayama had been resting his chin on his hand and eating up his friend's drama, wearing an expression that said, This is youth, and looking wistful. Then he suddenly heard his own name.
Hayama: "?????"
What was going on? What did this have to do with him?
Lately, especially this week, that girl Yumiko had practically been desperate to distance herself from him to prove her innocence!
Yumiko, say something!
Hurry up and explain!
Miura's expression changed again and again. She immediately looked at Yukino, afraid she'd see a furious, teeth-gritting face wreathed in flames.
The entire class—and even the entire school—had gotten so caught up in the commotion that Yukino couldn't stay out of it.
She looked toward the Broadcasting Station with interest, but in her heart she was thinking that this younger student probably didn't stand a chance.
Miura might look bold and domineering, but she was actually reserved and subtle, and sometimes a little awkward. She was a little princess who liked pink.
She probably wouldn't like such a dramatic, showy confession.
She probably liked gentle, steady, sunny, cheerful boys like Hayama.
Seeing Miura glance at her in a panic, Yukino thought for a second and understood.
Miura didn't like that younger boy, but didn't know how to turn him down?
That made sense. Miura had always been popular, but she probably hadn't received a confession on this scale before. It was only natural that she didn't have much experience rejecting someone.
Yukino's expression softened as she tried to offer advice. "Why not just tell him outright that you like Hayama?"
Miura took a step back in fright.
To her, Yukino had been so furious with Akiichi Ishida that she was on the verge of a sneer. And now she'd brought up Hayama...
So after Miura's personal translation device had translated and decoded Yukino's words, they must have meant:
[Miura, not only are you attracting younger boys, you're also tangled up with Hayama. You're such a shameless flirt, two-timing, and fickle girl! How despicable, how despicable, how despicable!!!]
The Yukino-stamping-her-foot reaction image played on loop in Miura's mind.
No, she couldn't let this misunderstanding go on any longer!
Miura charged out through the back door of the classroom. She went to Teacher Hiratsuka's office, where the teacher was still happily enjoying the show, got the spare key to the Broadcasting Station, and dashed straight to the broadcasting room.
By then, a crowd of spectators had gathered outside the broadcasting room. The moment they saw Miura running up like a drama heroine, they immediately parted to let her through.
Quite a few people guessed that she'd come to accept the confession.
But after opening the broadcasting room door, Miura quickly pushed Student Ishida, who was still lost in his heartfelt confession, outside, then locked the door again.
A moment later, Miura's voice came over the broadcast.
"I'm Yumiko Miura. I'm sorry, Student Ishida, but I have no intention of accepting your confession."
"And Hayama and I really are just good friends who grew up together, like brothers. I hope everyone will stop misunderstanding our relationship from now on."
"Lastly, I hope a certain someone won't be mad..."
"—I really only like cola and cream puffs!"
Cola and cream puffs???
What did that have to do with anything?
After the incident, even Hayama, Miura's newly minted good brother, was a little puzzled. "So you like sweets, Yumiko? I never knew."
Of course she did. Those things were so fattening; she couldn't very well admit it.
Miura, convinced that she'd solved everything, cleared her throat and looked at Yukino. Just as she happened to catch Yukino looking her way, she immediately put on a subtly triumphant expression.
Just look at her. She was amazing.
Yukino hadn't even gotten her yet, and she already knew how to steer clear of other romantic prospects. There was no way someone as wonderful as her, a future lover in the making, would be flirting around or two-timing anyone.
Yukino looked at Miura, who was grinning smugly, with complete confusion.
Hmm...?
With the system no help, she could only put her prodigious powers of understanding to work.
Even if Miura had turned down a suitor, that wasn't something to be so happy about.
Could it be that she was proud of how tactfully she'd handled the rejection this time?
Oh, oh, she got it.
Although Miura's rejection had been quick and decisive, it hadn't exactly been gentle or tactful. But good students who loved learning needed encouragement.
Before you continue