Bus Problem Solved!

(Disclaimer: All characters are adults.)

[Character design is in the comments section.]

[The protagonist's name is not Tomie—I've noticed many people misunderstand this.]

West Moon, the start of the school season.

Dense greenery grew unchecked, and countless pink cherry blossoms along the roadside scattered wildly in the strong wind.

Yet the cherry blossoms here seemed to bloom so profusely that even the sparrows perched on the power lines were captivated, no longer chirping.

Of course, it might also be because he was currently sitting on the bus heading to school and couldn't hear whether the little sparrows were actually making noise.

Yes, that was one reason.

"Ha~"

Thinking this, Yuki Gyakukai, who was fortunate enough to have a seat in the last row of this crowded bus, yawned involuntarily.

Half-closing his eyes, he shifted his gaze to the crowd on the bus.

Familiar uniforms, unfamiliar faces, a slightly different storyline—he wondered if there would be any seat-offering incidents on this bus.

Most of the passengers, like him, wore red school uniforms, white shirts, and dress pants—at least for the males.

The females were more vibrant, with their dress pants replaced by pure white pleated skirts, beneath which pale thighs were exposed.

Speaking of which...

Dressed like that, weren't they afraid of encountering a bus pervert?

After all, this bus wasn't a school bus; there were plenty of office workers on board.

If some greasy middle-aged man brushed against them at a time like this, it would probably ruin even the good mood of starting school.

Since the school waived all tuition fees for three years and allowed graduates to choose any job afterward, Anyone who experienced something like that at the start of school would surely develop psychological trauma...

Thinking this, Yuki Gyakukai's brow furrowed slightly.

This casual action seemed to have some unintended consequences.

Many girls, when their gazes turned toward him, immediately snapped their heads away, then, like little quails, covered their faces tightly, suppressing any movement.

But oh, maidens, your stares were too piercing, too blatant.

Even though they all lowered their heads, he could still see from behind their trembling shoulders—shaking with excitement—and their pink necks and flushed earlobes.

Soft and tender, quite cute to look at.

"So handsome! Judging by the uniform, he must be from our school!"

"How can someone like this exist? It's almost unfair how good-looking he is!"

"Seriously, that mole at the corner of his eye is unfairly seductive. I feel like my heart's about to jump out—is this what a racing heart feels like?"

So it wasn't just men who liked looking at beautiful women; women, too, were inevitably drawn to handsome men.

How vulgar.

Earlier, all these people had gathered from different schools, complete strangers, and now they were excitedly huddling together to discuss a handsome guy.

So this was the power of lust, huh?

When it came to lust, topics like gender conflict or sensitive issues were all dropped.

All they could think about was that...

The bus continued to crawl along, and the transparent windows occasionally reflected the shadows of buildings.

Through the window beside Yuki Gyakukai, his face was faintly visible.

His jet-black hair was slightly tousled, as if the owner of this body had just crawled out of bed, his half-open eyes filled with drowsiness.

A high nose bridge, fair skin, a slightly tilted torso—

Half of his face gleamed under the sunlight, and beneath the slightly curved corner of his eye, a black mole was dotted like a stroke of genius.

Though he was a high school student, he lounged on the seat like a married man, exuding a lazy aura.

From others' perspectives, he was simply a languid, beautiful youth.

The commotion from earlier had already been noticed by many, and quite a few people turned to look at the back row.

Inside the carriage, many men couldn't help but curl their lips at that devastatingly handsome face.

Compared to the men, the women's discussions were far more heated.

"Ugh, I'm so jealous of that girl being held while sleeping. If only it were me!"

"One high-quality target down..."

"Maybe they're siblings—I think I still have a chance."

"Give it up. What siblings would cling to each other like that? And if they really are siblings, that's kind of a ship."

No, shipping everything will eventually ruin you.

He ignored the voices inside the carriage, even though their discussion was gradually veering toward orthopedic topics.

But Yuki Gyakukai felt it was still within controllable range, and his gaze involuntarily shifted back to its original spot.

The girl at the center of the topic, his fiancée, was currently leaning against him with her eyes closed, catching up on the sleep she had missed last night.

His fiancée had an exquisitely beautiful face, skin like congealed fat, and a black mole beneath the corner of her left eye, adorning that flawless visage.

Like adding flowers to brocade, that originally perfect face needed no makeup to be already stunning, but now with that mole, it became even more bewitchingly alluring, like a full-fledged femme fatale.

Her jet-black long hair was casually draped behind her, and a gentle breeze lightly stirred it, carrying the faint scent of shampoo she had used after washing up this morning into Yuki Gyakukai's nose.

It was very fragrant, but it made his nose a little itchy.

Without realizing it, the bus had been traveling on this stretch of road for a long time.

If not for the increasingly noisy sounds, Yuki Gyakukai might have remained lost in his fiancée's beautiful face.

Several office workers on the bus looked anxious, occasionally glancing down at their watches.

"Why did this road suddenly get congested? It's always been smooth before."

"Damn it, I'm going to be late for work. I shouldn't have taken the bus!"

"It's over. If I'm late today, I'll lose my entire year's performance review and evaluation! Can't we take another route?!"

Watching these gradually agitated adults, how could they, as teenagers about to enter high school, possibly understand?

But sensing the increasingly tense atmosphere and seeing the office workers' faces grow darker, they instinctively lowered their voices or kept silent.

After all, this was the eve of the new semester, and they didn't want to cause any trouble.

This was the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, renowned for three years of free tuition and guaranteed employment upon graduation!

If a conflict broke out here and they were barred from enrollment, they wouldn't even have a chance to cry—they'd definitely face a double beating from their parents.

So, they silently lowered their heads, those sitting in their seats ignoring the situation inside the carriage and staring at the traffic outside, while those awkwardly standing held their phones, pretending to chat.

In an unnoticed corner, the surveillance camera inside the carriage flashed red, recording everyone's behavior one by one.

After more than ten minutes, the bus had only advanced about fifty meters.

The office workers still on board grew increasingly irritable, and the already noisy air began to feel stifling.

Yuki Gyakukai looked at the steadily flowing time on his phone and understood in his heart.

This was probably the school's test, but what exactly was it testing? Crowd control ability?

Was it a test where the bus couldn't open its doors until it reached the stop, confining the exam to the carriage, and having them calm everyone down?

No, didn't the person who set the test understand the social situation in Sakura Country?

In Sakura, the most taboo thing was violating the senior-junior relationship.

Having them, a group of teenagers considered impertinent, manage these middle-aged office workers in such a volatile state would likely lead to a samurai duel!

More accurately, it would be a one-sided beating.

After all, adults had an inherent advantage in physical strength and stamina.

"Hey! Why aren't you driving?!"

Just as Yuki Gyakukai was still thinking, a strange voice rang out inside the carriage, interrupting everyone's argument.

A redhead? Judging by the uniform style, he should also be a new student at Kōiku.

But there were only a few famous redheads in the first year, so he didn't know who it was.

Just as Yuki Gyakukai was curious about who the redhead was, someone nearby had already started explaining the situation to this thug-like redhead.

After learning the situation, Sho Ryuuen couldn't help but feel annoyed. He had gotten up early to catch the bus, planning to head to the new school and start some interesting domination.

He hadn't expected to wake up and still be on the road.

This infuriated him, and the incessant noise in his ears was like a spark, completely igniting him like a powder keg.

Bang!!

He stood up and kicked the bus door hard, causing it to tremble violently. The entire noisy carriage fell into temporary silence because of the loud noise.

"Bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Sho Ryuuen shoved aside the finger pointing at him and glared fiercely at the surrounding office workers.

"Boring adults, what's all the noise about?! Yapping endlessly!"

Because of the commotion, the driver, who had been invisible and silent for a long time, finally reacted.

He glared angrily at Sho Ryuuen in the back: "Don't damage anything on the bus. I'm doing my best to get us moving."

"Your so-called 'best' is covering fifty meters in over ten minutes? I could walk faster than that!"

"It's because of the traffic jam! Do you think I don't want to drive faster?!"

"The sidewalk is pretty wide, isn't it? Drive up on it!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone on the bus was stunned again—a realm they had never imagined.

"You... is this how you talk to your senior?!" The bus driver's face visibly reddened with anger.

Watching this noisy scene, Yuki Gyakukai couldn't help but feel a bit troubled. Both his hands were now gently cupping his fiancée's ears, afraid of waking her.

But to put an end to this commotion, he quickly freed one hand, pulled out his phone, sent a string of messages, and then placed his hand back over the girl's ears.

Within less than three minutes, the road ahead seemed to clear up, and it was noticeably easier to move forward.

After leaving that congested stretch, many people on the bus let out a sigh of relief.

And so, the bus lived up to expectations and arrived at the school where Yuki Gyakukai would spend the next three years of his life.

--Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.

"Tomie, wake up. We're at school."