Don't let Misaki's usual playful grin fool you—beneath that exterior, she's actually quite thoughtful. This was made evident by the lunch box she gave to Shiro Sakamaki, which was much larger than the usual portion and clearly prepared with care. It was obvious she had paid attention to his appetite the day before.
Even though Shiro could maintain his physique through spiritual power, who doesn't enjoy a home-cooked meal?
With a pleasant mood, he began walking toward the school. As he passed a breakfast shop, he spotted a familiar red back. It could only be Itsuki.
The only difference from the previous day was that today, Itsuki wasn't alone—she was accompanied by four other sisters, all of whom looked remarkably alike. Even Shiro, with his sharp eyes, struggled to tell them apart based solely on their facial features.
But he locked onto Itsuki right away. Why? Because she was the only one with a bun in her mouth.
Itsuki noticed Shiro at the same moment and waved her small hand, greeting him with a cheerful smile. Shiro returned the smile and waved back.
The sisters exchanged curious glances, silently questioning when Itsuki had met such a handsome guy. Among them, the most vocal was Nino, who immediately asked, "Itsuki, when did you meet this guy? Why didn't we know about him?"
Ichika, the eldest sister, chimed in with mock excitement, "Hoo~, my little sister's grown up! I'm so happy~!"
Miku, ever the reserved one, simply glanced at the scene in silence.
Yotsuba was the most enthusiastic, giving an excited "Hey, hey~."
Itsuki felt a little flustered, seeing the amused expressions on her sisters' faces. She scratched her head awkwardly, trying to explain, "I met him yesterday afternoon. It's all Nino's fault for not preparing my bento, so I had to go to the cafeteria to eat instead."
Nino immediately retorted, "Hmph~! Didn't you say yesterday that you wouldn't eat the bento I made? Now you're blaming me again?"
"I was just talking!" Itsuki huffed in return.
"How was I supposed to know if you didn't say so?" Nino shot back.
Ichika, taking charge as the eldest, stepped forward to mediate, "Alright, enough of the quarrel. We're not here for this. Let's greet Shiro."
Shiro approached the group, smiling as he greeted Itsuki, "Good morning, Itsuki. It seems fate has brought us together again."
As soon as he spoke, the sisters' expressions sharpened, their eyes narrowing.
"Oh? You're calling her by name already? Are you that close with her already? You didn't even know us until yesterday, yet you recognized Itsuki right away?" Their silent thoughts were written all over their faces.
Itsuki froze, unsure of how to explain herself, and then, as if realizing something, she introduced Shiro to her sisters, "Shiro, let me introduce you. These are my sisters…"
Shiro smiled politely and nodded, "Hello, I'm Shiro Sakamaki from Class A, first year. I just arrived in Neon Country yesterday as an exchange student. Please take care of me."
The sisters exchanged surprised glances. They had only known Shiro for a single day, yet he was so comfortable around them.
Ichika was the first to speak, "It seems that Shiro Sakamaki not only recognized Itsuki right away, but is already quite familiar with her. You must have made quite an impression on him."
"Indeed," Shiro added, "Itsuki is very cute, but I never expected her to have four sisters who look exactly the same."
The five sisters were taken aback by this remark, their eyes widening. Each one of them processed his words in their own way.
Nino's gaze lingered on him, her mind working through the layers of what he said. Ichika, ever the observer, nodded, trying to understand the unspoken nuances. Miku stayed quiet, but a faint blush crossed her cheeks as she wondered why Shiro was so focused on Itsuki. Yotsuba, ever energetic, was simply happy to meet someone new
Ichika glanced at the time, realizing they were running out of time. "It's getting late. Let's talk while walking or we'll be late."
The group quickly glanced at the time—there were less than twenty minutes before class started.
"Hurry up, or we'll get stopped by the bald guy at the gate," Yotsuba said.
"Oh no, the doorman is terrifying," Miku remarked.
"I heard he used to be an extremist, but he quit and became a janitor here," Nino added.
The sisters rushed toward the school gates, Shiro following closely behind.
Eventually, after a brief jog, they arrived just in time for class.
Yotsuba, out of breath, exclaimed, "Ah, we're almost late! Maybe next time, we should just have the driver drop us off."
Miku agreed, "That sounds like a good idea."
Itsuki, slightly exasperated, quipped, "It's all your fault, Ichika. You always sleep in every morning."
Ichika shot back, "What do you mean, my fault? If it wasn't for Shiro Sakamaki talking to us, we'd have been on time!"
Nino couldn't help but tease, "You're always finding a reason to argue."
Shiro, caught in the middle of their sibling banter, was left speechless. Great, now I'm the scapegoat.
As they entered the school gates, Shiro couldn't help but notice the eyes of the boys around them, all glued to him. His heightened hearing allowed him to catch their muttered complaints, ranging from jealousy over his looks to calling him a "burnt hetero." If looks could kill, Shiro might have dropped dead dozens of times by now.
"Well, it's almost time for class," Shiro said with a grin. "Let's head to class before we get into more trouble. It was nice meeting all of you."
Throughout their walk, Shiro kept the conversation light, paying attention to the flow of the discussion and ensuring no one felt out of place. The sisters quickly grew fond of him, especially Nino.
Although Nino was more inclined to like the rebellious, bad-boy types with yellow hair, Shiro's appearance and demeanor were undeniably appealing. He had the perfect balance of cool and polite that seemed to draw her in.
The school day was easy for Shiro. Even when distracted by the view outside the window, he still heard the teacher's lecture clearly.
In their Ancient Literature class, the teacher, perhaps seeing Shiro's intellect, called on him to recite a passage. "Classmate Shiro Sakamaki, could you please recite this paragraph for the class?"
Shiro stood up without hesitation, not only reciting the passage but also explaining its meaning, impressing both the teacher and the class.
"Very well," the teacher said, nodding. "It seems that Shiro Sakamaki has a solid understanding of history. I hope the rest of you take him as an example."
The rest of the class seemed less enthusiastic, their attention waning as the teacher passionately described an ancient era. Many of the students appeared disinterested, some even dozing off, while others tried to stay awake.
But the teacher continued, undeterred, as though none of it fazed him.
The morning passed quickly, and after eating the bento Misaki had prepared for him, Shiro stood up and made his way toward Hiratsuka's office.
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