"But today, I noticed you right away because of a gentle, pleasant scent like tuberoses," Yukima Azuma said, stepping a bit closer to Katou Megumi.
He leaned in slightly to sniff the air near her.
However, this time, he no longer detected the faint, pleasant fragrance reminiscent of tuberoses.
Katou Megumi gently pushed Yukima Azuma away.
"Yukima-san! Even I would get embarrassed by that!"
Her face turned slightly red. While her emotions remained subtle, she looked undeniably cute.
Then, she raised her hand and gently sniffed herself.
"The scent of tuberoses? But I don't use any products with that fragrance."
— — — — -
Today I played soccer until late afternoon, so there's only 1 chapter. Sorry.
Mainly because from chapter 56 onwards, each chapter increases from 1k words to 2k5 -> 3k words, so it takes more time than usual.
— — — — — — — — — — —
If you like this story, please leave me a comment, review, collection and power stones if you can. I would be very happy about that.
If you want to read 40 advanced chapters and support me to have more motivation to continue as a translator, here is my p.a.t.r.e.o.n patreon.com/curse_heian_chef
Chapter 26: The Scent of Tuberoses, The Eyes of Tuberoses
Chapter 26: The Scent of Tuberoses, The Eyes of Tuberoses
"Recently, I haven't changed my body wash, so Yukima-san must have smelled it wrong," Katou Megumi said.
"Then, could it be Katou-san's natural scent?"
"Yukima-san, you're saying strange things again!"
"Let's go check the class assignment board."
"Okay!"
At this moment, the class assignment board was crowded with people.
New students were eagerly searching for their names.
Yukima Azuma and Katou Megumi coordinated effortlessly, starting from opposite ends of the list.
Their eyes scanned quickly.
The first few lists yielded no results.
Just as Yukima Azuma was about to check the next list,
Katou Megumi softly called his name from the other side.
Yukima Azuma walked over.
At the very bottom of the list, under Class 1-E, the first name stood out clearlyit was his own.
The class lists seemed to be ordered by entrance exam scores.
Yukima Azuma's gaze continued downward.
Soon, he spotted the name Katou Megumi.
They were in the same class.
When Yukima Azuma tilted his head to look at Katou Megumi, he was immediately greeted by a gentle smile on her beautiful face.
Katou Megumi, who rarely showed emotions, conveyed a great deal of joy with just a small smile.
Yukima Azuma looked further down.
Aki Tomoya.
Seeing this name, Yukima Azuma involuntarily frowned.
He ignored what wasn't worth his attention.
Quickly, his eyes caught another name.
Sakamura Spencer Eriri.
Due to its length, "Eriri" stood out prominently among the three— or four-character names on the list, making it easy to spot.
Yukima Azuma scanned the crowd.
In no time, he spotted Eriri in a corner, laughing gleefully.
Without hesitation, he took action.
Yukima Azuma pulled out his phone, opened the camera, and aimed it at Eriri.
Click!
Under the morning sunlight, the golden glow illuminated the golden-haired girl. Her delicate white blouse and her adorable face, paired with a smile that could melt hearts, made for a perfect picture.
"Yep, this one's going straight into the meme bank," Yukima Azuma thought as he effortlessly added the caption "Hehe, silly" beneath the photo.
The crowd flowed from the school gate toward the announcement board and then moved en masse toward the main hall.
Yukima Azuma and Katou Megumi followed the current.
Perhaps due to her faint presence, the bustling freshmen occasionally passed right between them, some nearly colliding with Katou Megumi.
Thanks to her well-practiced skill of avoiding obstacles, Katou Megumi navigated the crowd gracefully without bumping into anyone.
Even so, it was inevitable that the two gradually drifted apart.
Realizing this, Yukima Azuma immediately reached out and pulled Katou Megumi closer.
"Hold onto my shirt; I'll lead. That way, we won't get separated," he said.
Katou Megumi softly murmured an "Okay."
She reached out, grasping the back hem of Yukima Azuma's shirt, her gaze flickering slightly.
Together, they made their way to the main hall and took their seats.
"I wonder who this year's freshman representative will be," Katou Megumi mused softly after letting go of Yukima Azuma's shirt.
Her gentle voice seemed to carry a hint of embarrassment.
"Are you that curious, Katou-san?" Yukima Azuma teased with a sly expression.
"Calling it curiosity is a bit much," Katou Megumi said, lightly twirling her finger. "But I do think the person must be quite outstanding. You see, the freshman representative is always the top scorer in the entrance exam. To get the highest score at Toyosaki is really impressive, don't you think?"
Yukima Azuma stroked his chin lightly. "It's nothing special."
Hearing this, Katou Megumi immediately caught on to something.
She turned her gaze to Yukima Azuma, staring at him without blinking.
Yukima Azuma nodded plainly.
"Yep, I'm this year's freshman representative."
"How cheeky," Katou Megumi said, playfully reaching out to gently punch Yukima Azuma's shoulder.
.....
The principal of Toyosaki Gakuen, a bald old man, stepped onto the stage next.
He began a rather pompous speech.
Thankfully, he kept it to the promised five minutes.
Afterward, Yukima Azuma was called to the stage.
Standing on stage, Yukima Azuma faced the gazes of thousands of incoming freshmen.
He delivered the opening speech he had prepared in advancea standard one.
Was he nervous? Not in the slightest.
Having lived through two lifetimes, Yukima Azuma had experienced countless situations of varying scales.
Just his inherent composure alone, coupled with the strategic mindset he honed through Go, rendered the stares of thousands nothing more than a fleeting breeze.
.....
Below the stage:
Katou Megumi, with eyes as gentle as jasmine, gazed unwaveringly at the boy in the spotlight.
Eriri looked up at the stage, her mouth agape in awe, her ocean-blue eyes glimmering with admiration.
Aki Tomoya fixed his gaze on the stage, recalling the pre-enrollment intel he had gathered, his mind buzzing with calculations.
Thus began the stage named Toyosaki.
.....
Class 1-E
"Yukima-san, that speech was really impressive!"
"Top scorer in the entrance exam? That's incredible!"
"Yukima-san, do you have a girlfriend?"
A crowd quickly gathered around Yukima Azuma, most of them girls.
After all, he was not only the most academically accomplished but also one of the most charismatic guys in the academy.
Moreover, with the semester just starting, this was the perfect time for new connections.
Those with even a sliver of extroversion naturally sought to get acquainted with him.
As the crowd began to swell, more people, attracted by the commotion, joined in.
Thus, a social vortex had formed around Yukima Azuma.
To the barrage of compliments and introductory chatter, Yukima Azuma responded with a calm and polite smile, acknowledging each person.
Maintaining good relationships in high school is a tricky endeavor.
Teenagers are often sensitive, and their friendships are less dictated by practical gains.
Yet, once relationships are managed well, they can bring significant convenience.
Influence without sacrificing benefits is a luxury unattainable in the professional world.
.....
Meanwhile, Eriri had entered the classroom long ago.
Assigned to the same class, her anticipation grew stronger.
However, seeing more and more peopleespecially girlsflocking around Yukima Azuma made her increasingly tense.
Her hand clutched a handkerchief so tightly that she nearly tore it apart with her teeth.
— — — — — — — -
Yahallo~, my dear handsome and beautiful readers.
Today is a new week. So please throw me your Power Stone, give me a chance to promote this book to more readers.
()*:(`)() Thanks you~
Chapter 27: She Just My Little Sister
"Hey, Satou-san, can I switch seats with you?"
Yukima Azuma clasped his hands together in front of his chest, making a request.
Satou, who had just been called, hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded.
The social status gap between the two was too large.
Even though he could refuse, doing so would likely result in receiving cold, indifferent stares from the other classmates.
"Alright, but why?" Satou asked, curious.
Yukima Azuma gestured toward Eriri's seat with a glance.
Everyone followed his gaze and immediately understood the situation.
After all, she was an ultra-beauty.
In fact, many people had already been paying attention to Eriri for a long time.
"So Yukima-san likes that type?" a female student murmured softly.
Actually, if you want to become the center of attention in class, it's best not to make your romantic interests public too early.
Once you clearly have someone you like, it creates a kind of barrier.
Others of the opposite gender who want to approach might feel like they're being inappropriate.
To some extent, this affects social relationships.
If the female students heard that Yukima Azuma liked Eriri, nine times out of ten, they would automatically withdraw and keep their distance.
After all, the rival was Eriri, an ultra-beauty.
Competing would be beyond their ability.
It's like a moth flying into the flamethere's only one outcome: death.
Yukima Azuma placed his finger on his lips, signaling for silence.
Then he said:
"Keep it quiet, and don't tell Eriri."
"I've known Eriri since elementary school, and I've watched her grow up."
"Her mother also asked me to look after her, so... you all understand now."
The people around him immediately snapped to attention, their expressions full of realization.
Most of the female students even let out a sigh of relief, as though a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
Yukima Azuma's explanation, to the ears of the female students, sounded like a purely brotherly relationship looking after his little sister.
Common understanding among the female students: once a guy labels a girl as "little sister," it's the equivalent of being removed from the competition.
Therefore, the girls who liked Yukima Azuma not only didn't resent Eriri but also actively tried to build a good relationship with her.
However, for the male students, these words seemed to confirm the close relationship between Yukima Azuma and Eriri.
If they were realistic, they would give up on pursuing Eriri.
Clearly, they were childhood friends, a perfect matchso what right would a "nobody" have to oppose that?
This was the art of rhetoric.
Although Yukima Azuma words were all true, he managed to guide others' thoughts in the direction he desired.
"Don't tell her, okay?" Yukima Azuma added, then grabbed his belongings and walked toward Eriri.
At this point, Eriri was seething with anger.
The jealousy in her heart had long since exploded.
Seeing Yukima Azuma approach, she snorted and turned her head away.
Yukima Azuma said nothing further.
After switching seats, his new position was right next to Eriri.
If Toyosaki's rule of individual desks hadn't been in place, they would have been sitting together as desk partners by now.
Moreover, the desk behind this spot belonged to Katou Megumi.
When Katou Megumi saw Yukima Azuma moving his things, she blinked and absentmindedly played with her hair.
Eriri, sitting there without hearing Yukima Azuma say anything, grew even more irritated.
She turned her head, wanting to see where Yukima Azuma had gone.
But as soon as she looked, her eyes met Yukima Azuma's gaze at an extremely close distance.
Seeing Yukima Azuma sitting calmly in the "partner" position next to her, Eriri's eyes widened.
"Hey! Why did you move here?!"
Eriri bared her small fangs, asking in a low voice:
"Why did you switch seats and come here?"
In truth, her anger had mostly dissipated by now.
She even felt a little sweet in her heart.
Eriri was the kind of girl who: as long as the person she liked showed a little bit of care, she would be so happy that she forgot everything else.
"What's it to you?" Yukima Azuma replied coldly.
He couldn't afford to show Eriri any more sweetness at this point.
Eriri snorted lightly, but didn't take it to heart.
In her mind, she had already categorized Yukima Azuma as a "tsundere."
Clearly, he had taken the initiative to move closer, yet he was speaking so coldly. Wasn't this the definition of a tsundere?
kettttttttt!
The classroom door was opened, and a person stepped in, tapping on the podium, producing a resounding sound.
Class 1-E immediately fell silent.
It was a woman with long pink hair, exuding the aura of an older sister.
Her office attire, black stockings, figure, and beauty were enough to rival Kasumigaoka Utaha.
However, her face seemed to be covered with a thick layer of ice, her cold expression sending a chill down one's spine.
"I am your homeroom teacher, Kirisu Mafuyu."
She turned and wrote her name on the board.
"I hope we can get along well."
Upon hearing this, the mood of the students in the class varied.
Having a beautiful homeroom teacherthis was definitely good news.
However, even though Kirisu Mafuyu said she hoped they would "get along," her tone was so cold that it seemed to push everyone away.
Sitting in the first two rows, some students could even feel a cold breeze blowing straight into their faces.
"Since Toyosaki Academy doesn't implement a class-changing system, unless something unexpected happens, I will be your homeroom teacher for the next three years."
"To start our three years together on a good note, and to help you all get to know each other, please introduce yourselves one by one."
"Starting from this side." Kirisu Mafuyu raised her hand and pointed at the student seated at the farthest end near the wall, making a gesture to invite them to speak.
The first student by the wall stood up.
"I'm Satou Kazuma, from Kurenosato Middle School. My hobbies are eating, sleeping, and playing games. I look forward to everyone's support."
"I'm Kunimi Yuuma. My hobby and specialty is basketball. If anyone is interested, feel free to reach out to discuss the basketball club."
"My name is..."
