Chapter Summaries

Sogo Doma tried to convince Shizuka Hiratsuka that his experience made him qualified to advise her about her relationship with Taihei, while defending his reputation as a harem protagonist. He left her questioning his claims and the strange details of his past as the Night Emperor.

• Sogo Doma urged Shizuka Hiratsuka to consider him a qualified relationship consultant for her and Taihei.
• Sogo Doma claimed his closeness with several girls proved he had the skills of a harem protagonist, but Shizuka Hiratsuka called him out for admitting he was a scumbag.
• Sogo Doma insisted the girls were merely acting tsundere and cited his Night Emperor reputation as evidence.
• Sogo Doma described listening to hostesses' troubles at clubs and said he had paid to give them a place to vent.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka questioned why Sogo Doma had gone to clubs while young, and he claimed it had been career research that elevated him.

Sogo Doma recalled how Umaru’s kindness had kept him from destroying the world and how listening to ordinary people helped him accept his new life. He had learned that most people were simply trying to get by, though he still relied on becoming strong enough to deter those who wished him harm.

• Sogo Doma remembered awakening with disgust and malice toward the world, until Umaru stood up for him at the piano and gave him a reason to see good in people.
• Sogo Doma began paying attention to kind people such as Eriri and Yukino Yukinoshita, while remaining wary of those who harbored malice.
• Sogo Doma explained that the Doma Family had risen through the destruction of rival families and that its recent restraint had made some people forget its power.
• Sogo Doma recalled listening to hostesses, homeless people, carpenters, and others, whose everyday struggles showed him that most ordinary people were simply trying to survive.
• Sogo Doma became the school tyrant, which kept most students from directing malice at him, and he answered Umaru when she called for him.

Sogo Doma explained how listening to hostesses’ stories had taught him that everyone was the protagonist of their own life, then used his past spending at clubs to argue that he was good with women. Shizuka Hiratsuka reluctantly accepted his explanation but refused to let him advise her relationship with Taihei.

• Sogo Doma recalled the hostesses’ dreams and hardships and said their stories had eased his fear of protagonists.
• Sogo Doma claimed the hostesses’ affection proved his ability with women, and Shizuka Hiratsuka argued that he had simply paid them.
• Sogo Doma defended his spending by saying he had wanted to support the hostesses and compared it to Shizuka Hiratsuka supporting Nanami Aoyama.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka reluctantly let the matter of Sogo Doma visiting clubs go.
• Sogo Doma asked to become Shizuka Hiratsuka and Taihei’s relationship advisor, but she interrupted him and refused.

Sogo Doma boasted to Shizuka Hiratsuka that he could teach her how to win over men, but his claim led her to suspect he was interested in boys. Their exchange ended with Hiratsuka mocking his sharp tongue after he insulted her chances of getting married.

• Sogo Doma claimed that his experience with hostesses made him an expert at winning over men and offered to teach Shizuka Hiratsuka.
• Hiratsuka concluded that Doma must have gay tendencies because he had studied how to win over boys, and he defended himself by saying he wanted to avoid puppy love.
• Hiratsuka recalled the rumors linking Doma to several girls and worried that the Service Club was becoming a yuri club.
• Doma objected when Hiratsuka suggested he could not find a date, and he insulted her by saying she might have married if she were disabled.
• Hiratsuka told Doma that his mouth was the reason his looks would not help him find a partner.

Sogo Doma explained to Shizuka Hiratsuka that he admired girls but guarded against their attempts to win him over, and said his romantic research was mainly about helping his inexperienced brother Taihei. He warned Shizuka to beware of the sister-complexed people around Taihei if she ever married him.

• Shizuka Hiratsuka questioned Sogo Doma about his lack of dating experience and his research into winning over men.
• Sogo Doma said he studied how to resist girls' advances and had learned much by observing Taihei's lack of romantic experience.
• Sogo Doma admitted he appreciated beautiful girls but said admiration did not mean he wanted to date or possess them.
• Shizuka challenged Sogo Doma to find someone to date, and he claimed he was too busy worrying about Taihei's romantic future.
• Sogo Doma described Taihei's companions as HENTAI who sneaked into their younger sisters' rooms, then warned Shizuka to watch out for them if she married Taihei.

Sogo Doma tried to encourage Shizuka Hiratsuka by telling her that her bold, career-oriented personality could appeal to Taihei, then defended his own frequent class-skipping by claiming he studied advanced material independently. The chapter left Shizuka stunned by his perfect scores and the extraordinary abilities of the Doma siblings.

• Sogo Doma told Shizuka Hiratsuka that she did not need conventional feminine charm to attract Taihei and that her strong personality had its own appeal.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka asked whether Sogo Doma truly believed it, but challenged him over his past remarks about her getting married.
• Sogo Doma claimed that he used conventional opinions to shame people rather than because he personally believed them, then argued that students should focus on studying.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka pointed out that Sogo Doma often skipped class, and he claimed he had already learned the lessons and was studying advanced material on his own.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka considered the Yukinoshita sisters' talent and concluded that the Doma siblings were far more extraordinary.

Sogo Doma teased Shizuka Hiratsuka about introducing their parents, then defended his ideas about romance by claiming that games and stories could be studied scientifically. The conversation ended with Shizuka questioning how space travel had anything to do with his research.

• Sogo Doma suggested inviting Taihei's father and Shizuka Hiratsuka's mother to meet, making Shizuka panic about her family rushing her toward marriage.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka challenged Sogo Doma's opinions about relationships because he had never dated anyone.
• Sogo Doma argued that theoretical knowledge and GALGAME games could teach him about romance, while Shizuka objected to bringing games into real life.
• Sogo Doma claimed that studying stories and emotions was possible because science could explain everything, leaving Shizuka puzzled by his comparison to humanity leaving Earth.

Sogo Doma explained to Shizuka Hiratsuka that his research investigated how romantic feelings arose between men and women, while she repeatedly misunderstood and challenged his claims. He admitted that the research had made little progress because of a lack of funding, data, samples, personnel, and prior literature, then asked Hiratsuka why she thought he wanted to study it.

• Sogo Doma argued that theoretical research could contribute to humanity and teased Shizuka Hiratsuka after she mistakenly thought he was studying condoms.
• Hiratsuka guessed that Doma's research was based on light novels and romance clichés, but he rejected her assumption.
• Doma said he was studying why men and women developed feelings, what conditions sparked them, and how those feelings could be created.
• Doma argued that dopamine and hormones alone could not explain lasting romantic feelings, leaving Hiratsuka wondering where those feelings came from.
• Doma listed the obstacles slowing his research and asked Hiratsuka why he wanted to pursue it.

Sogo Doma pressed Shizuka Hiratsuka about her relationship with Taihei, while she urged him to pursue one of the girls around him. Their conversation ended with Doma pointing out that she was avoiding the topic of herself and Taihei.

• Sogo Doma explained that he wanted to understand romantic feelings, but Shizuka Hiratsuka told him to experience dating firsthand.
• Sogo Doma insisted he was not interested in dating and demonstrated what he considered genuine interference by ordering Shizuka Hiratsuka and Taihei to marry within three days.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka warned Sogo Doma not to waste his youth and encouraged him to consider Yukinoshita or Kasumigaoka.
• Sogo Doma praised himself as an outstanding boy and asked why Shizuka Hiratsuka was suddenly complimenting him.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka tried to steer the conversation toward Sogo Doma's romantic prospects, but he reminded her they had been discussing her and Taihei.

Sogo Doma argued with Shizuka Hiratsuka about romance, deception, and whether people truly changed themselves for someone else. Shizuka realized she did not want to change herself, but still doubted that anyone could like her as she was.

• Sogo Doma teased Shizuka Hiratsuka about menopause and marriage, and she angrily challenged his claims about romance.
• Sogo explained that his theories helped him spot contrived encounters, false feelings, and people pretending to be someone their partner would like.
• Shizuka defended the possibility of good intentions, while Sogo argued that people changed for themselves rather than for someone else.
• Sogo began to suggest that his theories could help Shizuka win over Taihei, but she realized she did not want to change herself.
• Shizuka wondered whether anyone would like a woman like her, leaving Sogo caught off guard by her lack of confidence.

Sogo Doma tried to build Shizuka Hiratsuka’s confidence so she would pursue Taihei, using praise and promises to persuade her to accept his help as a relationship adviser. Shizuka agreed on the condition that he remained standing after she punched him, leaving their arrangement unsettled.

• Sogo Doma admitted Shizuka Hiratsuka was harder to encourage than he expected and tried to reassure her that her rough habits could be charming.
• Sogo Doma argued that Taihei was too inept to toy with anyone’s feelings and told Shizuka Hiratsuka he thought she was great.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka threatened to punch Sogo Doma for insulting Yukino Yukinoshita, and he offered to let her hit him if she accepted him as her relationship adviser.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka agreed to the arrangement only if Sogo Doma did not go down after she punched him a few times.

Shizuka Hiratsuka resisted Sogo Doma’s attempts to counsel and flatter her, despite being tempted by his offer to let her punch him. She recalled their past clashes and laid down a condition for agreeing to anything: she had to knock him flat.

• Shizuka Hiratsuka distrusted Sogo Doma’s relationship counseling and resisted his praise because his cutting remarks about her habits made her furious.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka remembered wanting to beat Sogo Doma after he trashed her apartment and fought back while drunk, despite appearing unconscious.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka recalled Sogo Doma’s reckless drinking and other exploits, including his threat involving her mother.
• Sogo Doma offered to let Shizuka Hiratsuka hit him, and she said she would agree to anything if she could knock him flat.

Sogo Doma tricked Shizuka Hiratsuka into believing her punch had gravely injured him. The chapter left Shizuka panicking as Sogo pretended to die.

• Shizuka Hiratsuka threw a punch to scare Sogo Doma, but he leaned into it and flew into a wall.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka feared she had accidentally unleashed devastating strength when she saw Sogo stuck to the wall and coughing blood.
• Sogo Doma pretended to be badly injured and told Shizuka Hiratsuka he regretted never seeing his younger brother Taihei get married.
• Sogo Doma flopped down and acted as though he had died, leaving Shizuka Hiratsuka horrified.

Shizuka Hiratsuka believed she had accidentally killed Sogo Doma with one punch and considered what to do next. While she reflected on Taihei and Sogo’s rivalry with him over Umaru, Sogo secretly schemed while pretending to be dead, and Shizuka called the police.

• Shizuka Hiratsuka found Sogo Doma apparently dead after her punch and panicked about becoming a murderer.
• Shizuka remembered Sogo’s affection for his supposed younger brother Taihei and thought about Taihei’s kindness and romantic appeal.
• Sogo Doma, secretly alive and pretending to be a corpse, planned to make Shizuka marry Taihei so he could win Umaru’s older-brother title.
• Shizuka stubbed out her cigarette and called 110 while Sogo watched secretly.

Sogo Doma pretended to be dying to make Shizuka Hiratsuka promise to look after Taihei, but she grew suspicious when he kept getting livelier. The chapter ended with Sogo insisting that Toshiro Hijikata was alive only because Sogo had held back.

• Shizuka Hiratsuka prepared to call the police after finding Sogo Doma apparently dead, but Sogo began coughing and claimed he could still be saved.
• Sogo begged Shizuka to promise she would care for Taihei, but she refused to make the promise and tried to call for help.
• Shizuka questioned Sogo's condition when she noticed he could grip her wrist firmly and showed no mark from her punch.
• Sogo recalled how Toshiro Hijikata had once beaten him into the hospital and later became known as the Demon Vice-Chief.
• Sogo thought of Hijikata's affection for Umaru and concluded that Hijikata was alive only because Sogo had held back.

Sogo Doma tried to explain away his apparent death and Shizuka Hiratsuka’s punch, but she realized he had been fine and suspected his strength came from the Kondo Dojo. Their conversation left Sogo surprised to learn that Shizuka knew Hijikata as the Doma Family’s feared Demon Vice-Chief, while she learned that Ryo had once been nicknamed Demon Taihei.

• Sogo Doma offered increasingly implausible explanations for his stopped heart and the blood at his mouth, and Shizuka Hiratsuka realized he had been fine all along.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka guessed that Sogo Doma’s abilities came from the Kondo Dojo, and he played along while wondering whether the sect was real.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka described Hijikata as the Doma Family’s feared Demon Vice-Chief, and Sogo Doma struggled to reconcile that reputation with his own view of him.
• Sogo Doma compared Hijikata’s reputation to Ryo’s school nickname, Demon Taihei, and Shizuka Hiratsuka learned that Ryo had once had only two friends.

Sogo Doma teased Shizuka Hiratsuka about Yukinoshita making friends and defended his own record in verbal sparring. He then returned to the subject of Hijikata, arguing that a title like Demon Vice-Chief could isolate someone, and began comparing it to Taihei’s experience.

• Sogo Doma recalled how Erina Nakiri had hoped to surpass his cooking, while Umaru used her tasting talent on snacks instead of learning to cook.
• Sogo Doma told Shizuka Hiratsuka that Yukinoshita had made friends with Kasumigaoka, Shiina, Tamaki, and Sawamura, leaving Hiratsuka startled by Yukinoshita’s closeness with them.
• Sogo Doma bragged that he could beat Yukinoshita and the others in arguments, and Shizuka Hiratsuka concluded that he simply could not stand losing.
• Sogo Doma said that Hijikata’s title of Demon Vice-Chief might isolate him and compared it to Taihei having only two friends after being called a demon.
• Shizuka Hiratsuka asked Sogo Doma about his test scores, and he admitted that he had cheated.

Sogo Doma explained to Shizuka Hiratsuka how he hid his academic ability behind a lazy act and claimed that Taihei and Hijikata had both been labeled “Demon” because others found them impossible to surpass. Their conversation ended in confusion when Sogo misunderstood Shizuka’s interest in Hijikata’s old-style swordsmanship.

• Sogo Doma told Shizuka Hiratsuka that he pretended not to study and joked about cheating so others would underestimate his ability.
• Sogo Doma explained that Taihei was called a demon because he never scored below full marks, making him impossible for others to surpass.
• Sogo Doma claimed he had bullied Hijikata and helped give him the Demon Vice-Chief nickname, contrary to the fearsome reputation Shizuka had heard.
• Sogo Doma teased Shizuka about being interested in Hijikata and suggested Taihei might be getting cheated on.
• Shizuka clarified that she was interested in Hijikata’s old-style swordsmanship, but Sogo misunderstood and described it as an exclusive inheritance for legitimate male heirs.

Shizuka Hiratsuka suspected that the Kondo Dojo taught secret techniques and tried to learn more from Sogo Doma. Sogo baited her with the possibility of exceptions to the dojo’s tradition, then steered their conversation toward relationship advice about her and Taihei.

• Shizuka Hiratsuka connected Hijikata’s and Sogo Doma’s abilities to the Kondo Dojo and cautiously asked whether it had secret techniques.
• Sogo Doma claimed the dojo’s traditions generally barred women from learning its swordsmanship, disappointing Shizuka Hiratsuka.
• Sogo Doma hinted that special circumstances might allow exceptions, then cut off Shizuka Hiratsuka’s questions and brought up her relationship with Taihei.
• Sogo Doma argued that Shizuka Hiratsuka had not beaten him flat, despite his heart stopping, and she urged him to seek medical attention.
• Sogo Doma accused Shizuka Hiratsuka of snarking too much, and she blamed him for making her do it.

Sogo Doma teased Shizuka Hiratsuka about his ability to stop his heart and the secrets of ancient martial arts. He suggested she marry Taihei to gain access to Kondo Dojo’s techniques, but she saw through his attempt to fool her.

• Sogo Doma claimed his heart-stopping ability came from ancient-style swordsmanship, then dodged Shizuka Hiratsuka’s questions about controlling his organs.
• Sogo Doma warned that people could hurt themselves by secretly practicing techniques without learning their oral foundations, while Shizuka pressed him about special circumstances.
• Sogo Doma told Shizuka that marrying Taihei would make her part of the Doma Family and give her access to Kondo Dojo’s secret technique scrolls.
• Sogo Doma offered to help Shizuka win Taihei over, but Shizuka rolled her eyes and called out his attempt to fool her.