Living in the Heart of Tokyo

'Sakura and Hojou's house, huh… I wonder what it's like'

Could it be something straight out of a murder mystery drama, where every wall is replaced by towering bookshelves?

The kind of old mansion filled with the faint smell of mildew, where tilting your head back to see the top shelf might make you lose your balance and fall?

In her mind, Kato Megumi pictured Hojou in gray loungewear, sitting in a brown wicker chair, reading a book under the soft sunlight streaming through a tiny window.

He looked calm and focused, completely absorbed.

On a nearby round glass table sat a cup of steaming tea, and flanking him were two massive ten-meter-tall bookshelves.

It was just a daydream cobbled together from a drama she'd watched last week.

Her eyes were fixed on the blackboard while the math teacher enthusiastically lectured at the front.

'Wait, Hojou isn't just a writer, right?'

Maybe his place was like an old kendo dojo preserved since the Meiji era—low walls, a weathered wooden gate bearing the family name "Hojou."

Inside, you'd see Hojou in his blue kendo uniform, practicing swings in a wide-open dojo.

Or maybe it looked like one of those elegant Western-style mansions used as photo shoot locations in Seventeen magazine—walls draped in pink roses, a yard carpeted with lush grass like a green rug.

That would make sense, especially since girls like Sakura, Shouko, and Sawamura lived there too.

A refined young lady like Sawamura should live somewhere just like that.

Maybe there's even a live pianist or violinist gently playing a tune like Across the Fields.

Then again, that might be a bit much—maybe it's just a speaker?

The truth is, there were never people like this in her old world. So all she could do was imagine, drawing from dramas and magazines.

'I really want to know what it's like'

That thought stayed with Kato Megumi all the way until the end of the first class before lunch.

Fortunately, the teacher never called on her, which was a small blessing.

The bell rang, snapping her out of her imagination.

Judging from her serene expression, no one would guess that moments ago she was picturing something as wild as the Queen of Hearts' castle from Alice in Wonderland.

Closing her textbook and slipping it into her bag, she stood up and followed her classmates out of the room.

She wasn't trying to be sneaky about where she was going, but by the time her friend Rin turned to ask if she wanted to go to the restroom together, Megumi had already vanished from the classroom.

Megumi was in Class 2-B, on the second floor.

Sawamura Spencer Eriri, on the other hand, was in Class G on the third floor.

As she climbed the stairs, another thought popped into her head.

'But seriously… why are Sawamura and Kasumigaoka-senpai living with Sakura and the others?'

She didn't usually ask questions aloud—simple ones made you seem clueless, while complicated ones put others on the spot.

Both went against the "Kato Megumi Code of Conduct."

Still, even though she always came across as calm, agreeable, and unreadable, she was still a girl.

Her curiosity and love for gossip were no less than anyone else's.

In fact, when it came to being "a girl," she might be more thorough than most—never missing a single teen magazine, diligently doing skincare after every bath…

She was, in every way, just an ordinary, normal girl.

'Class G, Class G…'

She repeated it in her mind, walking down the hallway and glancing sideways to check each classroom sign.

'This is it.'

Feeling a little nervous, she clenched her hands by her skirt, then walked straight to the door without hesitation.

A blonde girl stood out—not because of herself, but because of the crowd around her.

Right in the middle of the classroom, surrounded by smiling classmates, Eriri didn't say much.

She simply listened with a cheerful smile, occasionally covering her mouth with an elegant laugh.

'She's dazzling…'

Bathed in sunlight, Eriri looked like she was practically glowing.

That's what Megumi thought as she watched her.

Instead of going in, she quietly called to a girl sitting near the back door, asking her to call Eriri over.

She couldn't just barge into the classroom herself—but Kasumigaoka-senpai probably wouldn't hesitate. She had that kind of presence.

"…That was just a concept display. If you want to actually choose clothes, you need to see the ready-to-wear collections. Like the one in Shinjuku last week—it had a lot of great seasonal picks. I especially loved the sweatshirt Arisa Nagata wore."

Eriri said, smiling.

She hadn't gone to the event herself, but that didn't stop her from ordering the pieces she liked online.

"Oh yeah, I saw that online too! It was gorgeous. The colors were a bit too bright for me, though. But I bet it would look super cute on you, Eriri," a classmate chimed in.

"Nah, if I wear that, I look way too young—no one would think I'm even in high school. It's honestly frustrating!"

Eriri puffed her cheeks in mock protest, making the other girls laugh again.

As their conversation moved on to a new topic, a student approached and said,

"Um, Sawamura-san? There's a girl outside asking for you."

Eriri and the others turned to look.

'Oh no—it's that girl, that… that… who was it again?'

The smile on Eriri's face froze for a second.

She was pretty sure it was someone she knew.

"I'll be right back," she said to her friends, quickly pulling out her phone to check the message Sakura Yamauchi had sent her.

'Oh, right! It's Kato Megumi!'

Maybe she'd stayed up too late last night and it messed with her memory.

And it was all that girl's fault!

Why did she have to keep saying such fun things and serve such delicious snacks?

She ended up staying up way too late.

'Ugh, it's her fault I forgot Kato Megumi's name!'

"Kato… Kato-san, hi! You wanted to talk about going home together after school, right?"

She stepped out of the classroom, masking her embarrassment with a bright smile.

"Yes, Sorry to bother you, Sawamura-san. If you have club activities or anything, I can go on ahead."

Megumi nodded slightly.

Her voice gave no hint of the nerves she'd felt earlier.

"No way!"

"Eh?" Megumi blinked, caught off guard by Eriri's strong reaction.

"Ahem. I mean, I don't have any club stuff today, so just stick with me after school, okay? No arguments!"

Eriri replied in a tone that made it clear she wouldn't take no for an answer.

'No way I'm letting you go alone!' Eriri grumbled internally.

'Even if she's just a friend of Sakura's, even if she's just a bland background character, I still have to minimize the chances of more girls getting close to him!'

'That hopeless playboy with his head full of white, murky thoughts—ugh, such a pain!'

"Oh~ got it, I'll pack up quickly after school. So, we're meeting at the school gate, right?"

Kato Megumi nodded, not giving the earlier awkwardness a second thought.

She even suggested meeting at the school gate.

So as not to cause any trouble for Sawamura-san—who, being a top-tier school celebrity, might get unwanted attention if seen walking home with her.

"OK, see you after school, then." Eriri gave a small nod.

That's where the Toyogasaki "Go-Home Club" usually assembled anyway.

After thanking her again, Megumi turned and headed toward the stairs, her steps light—like she'd just delivered some papers for a teacher.

Not had a conversation with Sawamura Eriri, one of Toyogasaki's two school goddesses, the dream girl of every boy on campus, who rejected an average of two confessions a day, and the beautiful, high-society ace of the art club.

"Sawamura-san really is nice... not like those haughty rich girls on TV at all."

As she descended the stairs, Megumi smiled to herself, her excitement for the after-school gathering growing.

And she wasn't the only one looking forward to it.

In Class 1-J of Soubu High School, seat number 38, a certain black-haired girl was doing something highly unusual after class.

Rather than pulling out her usual novel wrapped in a black cat book cover, Yukinoshita Yukino was holding her phone in both hands, eyes fixed on the screen.

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Search bar:

"First time visiting a friend's house, what should I prepare in advance?"

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Search history:

"Known someone for a week and a half—can we be considered friends?"

"What should I talk about when hanging out at a friend's place?"

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…and so on.

After finishing yet another article supposedly written by a "social expert," Yukino let out a long, deep breath.

'This should be enough, right?' she thought, glancing at the tiny notebook on her desk now filled to the edges with meticulous notes.

As someone who had never had a friend before, this was a big deal.

Of course, she didn't think she was nervous just because she was going to a friend's house.

Only people with gloomy, socially awkward personalities would get nervous over that.

She was cheerful. And cute.

The only reason she was feeling this way was because she didn't want to come off as rude.

After all, there was a chance she'd meet Sakura's parents or family members. Being prepared was just basic manners.

'I wonder what Sakura's home is like? What are her family members like? Will they like me?'

These questions filled Yukino's mind right up until the final bell.

Even though she kept telling herself, 'This is just normal high school girl socializing, nothing special,' she couldn't stop the wave of anticipation bubbling inside her.

"No. I should rehearse it first."

'Three steps behind Sakura when entering the house.'

'If I see her family, bow at a 15-degree angle.'

'Follow the three-phrase rule when greeting.'

'Don't mess up how I address them.'

'If no one's at the door, still say 'Excuse me for intruding' in a clear but modest tone.'

Muttering these lines under her breath like a mantra, Yukino's thin lips moved ever so slightly.

She rehearsed the phrases she might need, quietly repeating them to herself.

"If only I could just install a social interaction module like a robot. Then I'd never mess up."

She'd filled another three pages of notes, yet she still didn't feel confident. Anxiety prickled in her chest.

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Meanwhile, on the other side of campus—

"Shou-chan, do you have class at the training center today?" Sakura tugged gently on Shouko's sleeve.

"Mm-hmm. Today, the teacher's going to teach us how to voice dead people." Shouko nodded. She was especially fond of today's guest instructor—Miss Sanada.

"Dead people? Why would they need to talk?" Sakura blinked.

"You dummy, don't you know the whole 'life-flashing-before-your-eyes' thing?" Kyousuke chimed in. "You sum up your tragic life, realize it was all meaningless, and then happily go die or whatever."

"Ohh, I see!" Sakura nodded earnestly, completely buying into it.

"So that means those villains in Kamen Rider, right before the Rider kicks them into oblivion, count as voicing the dead too?" Sakura was a natural at extrapolating wildly.

"Exactly! That's what we call the 'mercy of justice.' Even if my bullet's about to blow your brains out, I'll still defend your right to speak first." Kyousuke solemnly nodded.

"Hehehe~ Kyousuke-kun, stop messing with Sakura." Shouko giggled, her big eyes crinkling into little crescents.

Her chubby cheeks were downright adorable.

"It's not like that," she said seriously. "It's more about showing what it sounds like when someone's too injured to speak properly… or falling off a cliff, stuff like that."

Clearly, she knew they were just messing around but still felt the need to correct them.

"Ohhh, I see~" x2

Yeah, they both knew.

They were just enjoying the back-and-forth—one liked being tricked, the other loved watching her reactions.

"Anyway, just skip class today! It's rare that Kyousuke's making hotpot, and without Shou-chan, the flavor level drops by at least three tiers!"

Lady Sakura was nothing if not generous.

You can't have a scene like today's without Shouko.

Joy shared is joy doubled.

This counts as valuable life experience for a future voice actress, right?

She's bound to encounter scenes like this someday.

"Skip class…?" Shouko blinked in surprise, looking over at Kyousuke.

She thought back to their picnic under the cherry tree—and the thought tugged at her heart.

"But…" Even though she wanted to, her personality wasn't the type to skip lessons over something like this.

"Come on, just take a break for once~"

Completely unaware of Sakura's real thoughts, Kyousuke gently encouraged her.

He genuinely felt sorry for Shouko—her packed daily schedule made his own look relaxed.

"But… I'll fall behind on lessons…"

Shouko, who had never once faked a stomachache in her life, stood on the edge of temptation—heart pounding at the thought of crossing that line.

"Don't worry, don't worry! That kind of stuff is my specialty."

Sakura suddenly transformed into a full-on drama queen, throwing herself into an impromptu performance:

"Ahhhhhhh—!"

"If I die, you have to live on—"

"This… this is my last strength. The fate of the world is in your hands—"

"A world without you… is so cold…"

"If you want, I'll teach you. Leave it all to me!"

If the black-haired girl from before had been present, her icy Shizuka expression would've definitely cracked under the chaos.

"No no no, that's all wrong," Kyousuke retorted. "It should be something like: 'So… we've known each other for a hundred years… You've gotten so old.' That's true death!"

"Right right!" Sakura agreed enthusiastically.

"It has to be late April, the two of them sitting under a cherry tree, staring at each other's silver eyebrows… with wrinkles deep enough to hold sakura petals!"

She laughed brightly, voice brimming with joy, as if she could already see the scene in her mind.

Shouko covered her mouth, chuckling softly.

Then, with a decisive nod, she pulled out her phone and started typing out her excuse to skip class.

The chimes rang through the school.

After a round of teacher farewells, the school day was officially over.

Watching his boss walk out of the classroom flanked by two beautiful girls, Kisaki let out a heavy sigh.

That meant today's kendo club practice would have to be handled by the vice-captain.

Kyousuke had to check in on the progress of both the curtain and costume departments.

As for the props department—someone else could take care of that.

After all, there were far more girls working on sewing and design than there were willing to saw wood.

With someone like Kyousuke setting the example, Kisaki Tetta wasn't about to just sit around doing nothing.

His senpai once said something that stuck with him: Happiness doesn't come knocking—you have to go out and get it yourself!

The three of them arrived at the door of Class 1-J, where Yukinoshita Yukino was already waiting.

She looked like a porcelain doll, perfectly poised—long, slender legs straight beneath her, her back straight, posture immaculate.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Yukino-chan. Let's go," Sakura said with a cheerful smile.

"I just got out too," Yukino replied with a nod.

Anything that came out of her mouth could be taken at face value—she wasn't one for pleasantries.

Thus, another member joined the "Going-Home-from-Soubu-High-Squad."

They exited the school, crossed the first intersection, then the second.

As Yukino watched Nishimiya Shouko and Hojou Kyousuke still walking side-by-side, she finally couldn't hold back.

"Nishimiya-san, are you and Hojou-kun also going to Sakura's house?"

There was a barely noticeable trace of disappointment in her voice—but no one caught it.

"Eh?" Shouko stopped in her tracks and blinked at Yukino. "I'm with Sakura—"

"Haha, yep! They're all coming over to hang out at my place," Sakura quickly cut in, covering Shouko's mouth playfully.

This was supposed to be a surprise for Yukino, and she didn't want to spoil it too soon.

Kyousuke sighed inwardly.

He was already mentally prepared for the incoming storm, but it still didn't make it easier.

Maybe they should have sushi tonight instead.

If the hotpot got flipped, things could get ugly... and he'd probably end up as the one getting "cooked."

"I see..." Yukino murmured. So she wasn't the only one invited after all.

"By the way, Yukino, did you tell your family?" Sakura asked, changing the subject.

"Tell them? Tell them what?" the raven-haired girl asked, genuinely confused.

"That you won't be coming home for dinner, so they don't wait up," Sakura explained, blinking.

The three of them stared at Yukino in greater surprise than she had shown.

"There's no need for that. I live alone," Yukino replied calmly and plainly.

Oh, so that's how it is. But... why hadn't they seen that anywhere online before?

"Got it," Sakura nodded.

Living alone wasn't all that rare.

Since most high schools in Japan didn't offer dorms, a fair number of students rented apartments by themselves.

As they continued walking, they passed a convenience store.

Yukino glanced sideways at Shouko and Kyousuke—neither showed any reaction.

After a brief pause, she spoke up:

"Can you wait a moment? I want to buy something from the store."

"If you're thinking of getting a bento, don't worry. I'll be cooking for you later," Sakura said with unusual confidence—something only hotpot night could bring out in her.

When it came to Kyousuke, though, she'd cook anything with absolute conviction.

No matter how bad it tasted, he'd still grit his teeth and finish it with her.

"It's not that... I want to buy a gift. For visiting someone's home," Yukino said seriously.

She had read about this kind of etiquette in a "guidebook."

It had even listed gift categories and appropriate price ranges.

"A gift?" Shouko echoed softly, blinking.

Then she looked toward Kyousuke, silently asking if they should also get one.

He frantically shook his head, his eyes practically screaming:

'She's being silly. Don't copy her.'

"Umm… Ah… Pfft—hahaha!" Sakura couldn't hold back anymore.

She burst into laughter and buried her face into Kyousuke's arm, giggling like a kid.

"Yukino-chan, when you're visiting a friend's place, you don't need to bring a gift," Shouko said gently, seeing her friend's confusion.

"Won't it seem rude if I don't?" Yukino asked, slightly flustered.

"Actually..." Shouko hesitated, unsure whether she should say the next part.

"...it might come across as distant. Like you're not really close friends, and it might make her hesitant to invite you over again."

Kyousuke stepped in to finish the thought.

Just as he suspected—Yukinoshita lived in a kind of "vacuum."

Once she stepped outside her divine little world, she could be adorably clueless.

"..." Yukino stood there in stunned silence.

Her pale cheeks flushed pink, lips slightly parted in dismay.

She looked as if she'd just been hit by a bolt of emotional lightning.

"It's fine, it's fine! I know you meant well, Yukino-chan," Sakura said, still smiling as she hooked arms with her. "After all, we're besties who share each other's deepest secrets. I get you."

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The black-haired girl gave Sakura a look—clearly unamused.

Sure, she knew Sakura was trying to cover for her, but this method was just too hard to swallow.

Her sharp mind automatically decoded Sakura's words: "Your biggest secret" was obviously referring to the fact that she had no friends.

But honestly, Yukino never considered that a secret.

Anyone who spent any time with her could probably figure it out on their own.

Besides… hadn't Sakura already become her friend?

As for Sakura's secret, Yukino's pale blue eyes subtly drifted to Hojou walking beside them.

The rest of the way, Sakura held Shouko's hand with her left and linked arms with Yukino on her right, practically skipping as she walked.

Yukino looked like she wasn't used to it, but after a little resistance, she gave in.

Behind them, Kyousuke was on the phone—with none other than Miyamizu Mitsuha.

"...So I can't teach you dance today. Bummer."

"Haha, that's just how it is sometimes. Peer pressure and groupthink, I get it," Kyousuke said lightly.

As a national university, Ochanomizu Women's University didn't have too heavy a course load for first-years. But that didn't mean students had loads of free time.

The social obligations were another story entirely.

Clubs like the tea ceremony and flower arrangement societies—the ones Mitsuha had joined—were basically social networks in disguise.

Sure, she could skip them, but it wouldn't be as chill as the "Go-Home Club" back in high school.

If you weren't part of any group, society might just push you to the fringes. That's the reality of Japan's infamous group collectivism.

"Don't give me that. Since when have you ever cared about peer pressure? You are the core of the group!" Mitsuha teased playfully.