Sister

Ding-ding-ding~~

The dismissal bell rang, and the teacher at the podium leisurely gathered up the lesson materials, preparing to leave.

Public school teachers generally would not care what students did as long as they did not cause trouble in class, nor did they want to.

This was no longer the era from thirty years ago when teachers maintained discipline with "slaps" and "pointers." Forget corporal punishment—even using a slightly harsher tone could bring parents storming into the school. If the process was accidentally recorded or secretly filmed, they could lose their jobs and be dismissed on the spot.

As a result, teachers became even less willing to meddle. After all, it was only a "job," and students who were willing to learn—

"Teacher Yuanzhu, I have a few questions about the lesson just now."

Ai Nao held her notebook and quickly caught up to the teacher who had just stepped out of the classroom.

"This problem should be solved like this."

The teacher stopped, glanced at the neatly written notes, and immediately pointed out the key issue.

They truly did not want to meddle in other people's affairs, but if they encountered an excellent student with both good grades and character, they did not mind answering a few questions.

After all, back when they submitted their application documents after the entrance exams, most high school students who wrote down "teacher" had once dreamed of educating and nurturing others.

Akihi Yu had already packed his schoolbag and rose to leave the classroom.

As he passed two guys with bruised and swollen faces who were lowering their heads to organize their books, Yu swept his gaze over them.

That guy called Yamamoto had skipped school for an entire day?

Leaving the school building, he looked up at the clock overhead. It was three thirty. Under normal circumstances, most students would take part in club activities, both to develop their abilities and learn social skills. Of course, this was a public school, so there was usually a large group of students in the—

Homecoming Club.

"Yoo-hoo~~ Yu~~!"

Just as he reached the school gate, a voice called out from behind him.

A short-haired girl waved as she ran toward Yu without a care for anyone else, drawing the attention of students heading home.

Honestly, no wonder his former self had been so hated.

"Amame."

As he inwardly complained, Yu waited until she had run up to him before turning and extending an invitation.

"Together?"

"Of course~~"

The girl did not even seem to be one-sixty tall. Her features were delicate, and she was petite and lovely. Her black short hair was tied into a tiny braid, and she radiated an indescribable vitality, earning Yu quite a few hostile looks.

Tch.

Being handsome was a crime too.

"Let's go."

Amid a sea of faintly hostile gazes, the two left the school side by side. They were not going home together, but heading to the subway station together.

"Hey, Yu."

"Today, in our class—"

On the train, the girl chattered away, telling him about what had happened in class that day as though she was endlessly energetic.

Yu merely smiled and occasionally responded with things like "Oh," "Amazing," and "I see."

He did not dislike the girl beside him.

After all, someone who was completely unguarded around him already counted as a friend.

"Nippori Station. Passengers getting off, please—"

"This is our stop, Amame."

"Yu, you should call me Ei!"

"Sure, Amame~"

"..."

Taito Ward.

Ousakura Girls' School.

More than ten minutes later, Yu and Amame Ei arrived at the school.

Unlike Hoemi Academy, which was located in Adachi Ward and was also a public school, this was a private girls' school with a century of "long" history. Its school culture, management, and teaching standards were worlds apart from the high school the two of them attended.

Simply put, it was an "aristocratic school."

"Kazuha, over here!"

At the entrance to Ousakura Girls' School, where all the students spoke softly,

Amame Ei continued waving energetically at a cold and aloof girl walking toward them.

The girl wore the Ousakura school uniform, her smooth black hair flowing down her back. Though her features were beautiful, she gave off an unapproachable air. She held her schoolbag before her with both hands, pressing down her skirt. Every step seemed measured by a ruler, neither hurried nor slow.

Though it was not the first time he had "seen" her, a phrase still surfaced in Yu's mind:

A flower on a high mountain.

In truth, she deserved the title.

"Ei."

When the cold girl saw the short-haired girl beside Yu, her expression softened like a winter plum blossom opening, and a faint smile rose from the bottom of her heart.

"And Akihi, thank you for taking care of Ei."

As she gave a slight bow, Yu waved his hand.

"We merely happened to be going the same way."

"Exactly, exactly! And if anyone was taking care of someone, it should have been me taking care of Yu."

With her hands on her hips, the short-haired girl rebutted him with righteous conviction.

Hey, hey, hey.

That was then. This was now.

"You're late."

A crisp voice rang out, making Yu lower the fingers that had been rubbing his temple.

"Sora."

Another girl from Ousakura Girls' School walked straight toward them.

She was petite, with smooth long hair tied into long twin tails by two white bows. Her skin was so pale it carried a hint of sickliness. Calling her sweet and adorable would not be an exaggeration at all. Yet when she saw Yu, there was obvious anger on her face.

No, rather, when her gaze swept over Amame Ei, a barely noticeable flash of hostility passed through her eyes.

"Sorry, I arrived late."

In fact, since he had not participated in club activities, Yu had arrived while most of the students at Imperial Sakura School were only beginning to leave. There was no question of being "late."

However, facing this girl, Yu smiled as he apologized, the lines of his face softening considerably.

Akiyu Sora.

His younger sister.

His parents were dead, he had a younger sister and a house—he was practically the standard transmigrator template.

"Well then, Amame, Nagisa, goodbye."

"Yu, see you tomorrow!"

The energetic Amame Ei waved goodbye, then Nagisa Kazuha—the cold girl who was a head taller than her—took her hand and led her toward a long black sedan parked outside the school.

Yu did not know what kind of car it was, but the old-money aura radiating from it was impossible to hide.

No, they had not intended to hide it. A middle-aged driver in a suit and sunglasses opened the door for the two girls.

It was obviously the style of some major conglomerate.

"Hmph."

Noticing Yu's gaze, Akiyu Sora snorted coldly beside him.

"What are you looking at? That's not something we should touch."

"Not necessarily."

Turning and taking a few steps, Yu caught up with the girl who was angrily walking off by herself. After some thought, he said,

"Sora, if you like—"

"I don't."

"I'm hungry. Let's go home."

Meanwhile,

In a garage somewhere in Adachi Ward.

"Brother Toshikawa, please help me! I just can't swallow this humiliation!"

Yamamoto, who had been knocked down by Yu's hook punch in the restroom that morning, was bowing ninety degrees to a bald man sitting on a motorcycle, dressed in a tank top with tattoos exposed on his arms.

"You said—"

The bald man stroked his livid chin.

"That guy's parents are both dead? And he just received a large sum of money?"

"Yes!"

Yamamoto nodded forcefully.

"That bastard Akihi Yu's father and mother went traveling abroad a month ago and got into a traffic accident!"

"Now there's only him left in his family... No, supposedly he has a younger sister too."

"As long as you make a move, won't he obediently hand over the money?"

Yamamoto understood that to get these street "brothers" to act, he needed to put some genuine Fukuzawa Yukichi on the table. Though the ten-thousand-yen note now bore Shibusawa Eiichi's portrait, habits formed over decades were not so easily changed.

"Mm."

The bald man known as Brother Toshikawa did not agree. Instead, he continued rubbing his chin.

Only after Yamamoto, still bent over, had begun sweating from his forehead did he slowly speak.

"Since you recognize me as your big brother,"

"Of course I'll look after you. Our Broken Tooth Gang isn't something just anyone can bully."

"Yes, yes!"

"Thank you, Brother Toshikawa! Thank you, Brother Toshikawa!"

This bald man named Toshikawa was merely an associate of the Broken Tooth Gang—an "unaffiliated member" who had not even formally joined. But compared to Yamamoto, who carried out bullying at school, he was without question a true underworld big brother.

"Lead the way, Yamamoto."

The bald man waved his hand. Two other men with close-cropped buzz cuts, dressed in delinquent clothes, also rose from their respective motorcycles.

A student whose parents had died, who had no other relatives, and who possessed a compensation payout.

Wasn't that a gift from Heaven?