The First Thing in the Morning

Night.

On the other end of the line, Sakayanagi Arisu was on the phone.

"Arisu, I heard someone in your class is trying to pursue you?" This was the Chairman, Sakayanagi Narimori.

"Father, that's not true! They're just joking around!" The little girl only ever showed her obedient side in front of Sakayanagi Narimori.

"Is that so? But I heard you spent almost the entire day stuck to them." Sakayanagi Narimori's tone felt a bit sour as he said this.

"Father~" Sakayanagi Arisu drew out the end of her sentence, her fingertips twirling her cane, her voice carrying a softness she would never reveal on a normal day. "I just happened to run into a classmate and we spent some time together. Where did you hear such idle gossip?"

She shifted toward the window, the evening breeze carrying the scent of cherry blossoms through the gap in the curtains, ruffling her hair. "Besides, someone capable of making me 'stick to them' wouldn't appear so easily, would they?" She tapped the window frame lightly, a hint of pride coloring her tone. "Today was just me seeing that classmate being clumsy while tidying their room and I couldn't help but offer a few pointers."

Sakayanagi Narimori on the other end gave a light cough. The sourness in his tone faded slightly, though he still sounded uneasy. "Really just pointers? I heard you even went to the convenience store together to buy things."

"It was just a bottle of soda." Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes curved. Recalling the expression on Uesugi Hara's face when he drank ginger soda, she couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips. "And I was the one who treated. Look, Father, see how generous I am."

"Yes, yes, my daughter is the most generous." Sakayanagi Narimori's voice softened, filled with a smile. "But if anyone really dares to have any improper ideas, you must tell Father, understand?"

"I know, Father, don't you worry." Sakayanagi Arisu pressed her fingertip against the receiver. "I should get some rest, you sleep early too."

After hanging up, she dropped that obedient facade, her fingertips tapping rhythmically against her cane. The moonlight outside the window fell upon her face, a flash of playfulness crossing her eyes—if Uesugi-kun knew he was being targeted by her father, what kind of expression would he make?

---No, Uesugi Hara would only react to such a daughter-obsessed father with a plotline involving "How much money to make me leave your daughter" or "Denhuo Louan"---

------(The dividing line of time)

Early morning, the sunlight like crushed gold leaf spilled through the gaps in the curtains onto Uesugi Hara's pillow, leaving even his eyelashes dusted with warm, glowing light.

"Ring-ring-ring--ring-ring-ring--"

The alarm clock on the nightstand rang tirelessly, sounding exceptionally loud in the quiet room. Uesugi Hara frowned, rolled over, and buried his face into the pillow, trying to muffle his ears—he just wanted five more minutes. Just five minutes!

But the alarm clock seemed to be at odds with him, ringing ever more energetically. He finally let out a muffled groan, reached out to fumble blindly on the nightstand, his fingertips brushing the cold metal casing before he "slapped" the switch off.

The room returned to silence, save for the early-rising sparrows chirping on the branches outside. Uesugi Hara sat up slowly, scratching his messy hair. The sunlight crawled up his neck following his movements, warm enough to make one feel lazy. He glanced at the time: 7:30—an hour and a half before class, enough time to wash up slowly and head to the cafeteria to snag a freshly steamed tamagoyaki.

"Ding-dong---" The doorbell rang.

"So early, who is it~ hah." Uesugi Hara rubbed his eyes and sat up, his hair still sticking up in a mess. He let out a long yawn as soon as he finished speaking, physiological tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

He shuffled slowly toward the door, his slippers kicking askew at his feet—one had to know that at this hour, he was usually either still buried in his quilt or... there was no or.

Uesugi Hara held his pajama hem loosely with one hand, revealing a bit of his waistline, while the other lazily twisted the door handle. His sleep-fogged gaze swept the doorway—it was empty straight ahead, and he saw no one when he looked left and right.

"What the..." He muttered. Just as he was about to close the door, as if sensing something, he looked down—Sakayanagi Arisu was standing there, leaning on her cane, looking at him expressionlessly.

---Our Miss Arisu feels she has been insulted, but she has no evidence, and she is so annoyed.---

"Good morning, Uesugi-kun." She spoke, her tone as flat as if she were reading from a textbook, devoid of any emotion, yet inexplicably making one feel that something was hidden beneath that calm.

Uesugi Hara slammed the door shut almost reflexively, a dull "thud" echoing in the hallway. The half-asleep look in his eyes instantly cleared. He stared at the door panel for two seconds, then suddenly raised his hand and slapped his cheeks hard—"slap," "slap," two crisp sounds, delivered with a self-punishing force.

"Must be dreaming..." He muttered under his breath. The numbness in his face reminded him that this—this was reality, and the faint sound of a cane tapping on the floor in the hallway was real too. He slapped himself twice more, his cheeks flushing with heat, and this time he was thoroughly awake.

"What is this all about..." He bared his teeth at the door panel and opened it again. "Good morning, Miss Arisu." He wore an awkward, polite smile.

Sakayanagi Arisu was still standing in the same spot, her cane leaning against her side. She lifted her eyes slightly when she heard the movement. The morning light fell on her face, casting shallow shadows of her lashes beneath her eyes. Her tone remained level: "Uesugi-kun's rhythm for 'Space Gate' is certainly more efficient than when you're tidying your room."

Uesugi Hara gave a sheepish laugh, his hand still resting on the doorknob, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the cold metal surface. "That's not... that's not because I was afraid of neglecting Miss Arisu."

He stepped aside to let her into the room. Sakayanagi Arisu then took a step, her cane tapping a gentle rhythm on the floor. As she passed him, she added faintly, "I hope Uesugi-kun has the ability to host a guest."

Uesugi Hara followed helplessly, feeling his temples throbbing—this didn't feel like hosting a guest; it felt like he had invited in a master who was difficult to serve.

He first poured a glass of water for Sakayanagi Arisu. "You sit and rest for a moment." He pointed to the chair in front of his desk, his tone hurried with a desire to escape. "I'll go wash up, I'll be right back."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and bolted toward the bathroom, his footsteps so fast it was as if someone were chasing him. As he closed the bathroom door, he specifically glanced back—Sakayanagi Arisu was holding the water glass, slowly looking over his room, which he hadn't had time to clean, a faint, elusive smile seemingly playing on her lips.

"Tsk, I hope she doesn't rummage through my things." Uesugi Hara splashed his face in front of the mirror, turning the faucet with twice his usual speed.

The cold water splashed on his face finally dispelled the last of his sleepiness. He grabbed his hair in front of the mirror and caught a glimpse of himself—hm, very handsome.

Just as he was squeezing toothpaste onto his brush, he heard a slight sound from outside, like the rustling of book pages.

"No way..." He muttered indistinctly through the foam, rinsed his mouth in a flash, wiped his hands on a towel, and rushed out.