Living in the Heart of Tokyo

'Clink, clink!'

Yamauchi Sakura opened the mini elevator and pulled out two bags of chips, beaming as she showed them to Yukinoshita.

"Look, look! Aren't these super~~ cool?"

Seeing Sakura's innocent, childlike grin and hearing her unfiltered excitement, Yukinoshita had no intention of teasing her.

That simple joy was something she genuinely envied.

Pushing her hair back behind her ear with her right hand, Yukinoshita's refined face showed a gentle smile.

"Mm, it really suits you, Sakura."

Yes—she herself would never smile so happily over a gadget like this.

And there was no one who'd install such a useless machine at home just for her.

This was a kind of happiness Hojou Kyousuke had created, one meant only for Yamauchi Sakura.

"Let's see… sea urchin flavor and plum flavor. Which one do you want, Yukino?" Sakura looked down and asked.

"I'll pass. Dinner's soon, after all."

"Right? I was thinking the same thing~" Sakura nodded, hugging the two bags to her chest, planning to stash them in her room for a late-night snack.

"Anyway, come on—let me show you my room first~"

Yukinoshita's smile faltered slightly.

The door that opened wasn't the one with the white cat nameplate—it was the one with a pink pig.

"That's Shou-chan's room. If you want to see it, I'll have her show you later. She's probably helping Kyousuke right now," Sakura said, smirking knowingly as she read Yukinoshita's mind.

"It's not like I have to see it," the dark-haired girl replied honestly but with no real sincerity.

"Hehe~ Well, come on in~"

"Pardon the intrusion." Yukinoshita stepped in, her hands clasped a bit nervously.

The window was draped only with white sheer curtains, mainly for a bit of privacy.

Sakura walked over and pulled them fully open, letting bright sunlight pour in.

"Ah, the first thing I see when I get home every day is Mount Fuji—still as beautiful as ever," she said, leaning both hands on the windowsill in admiration.

"Eh? Mount Fuji?" Yukinoshita blinked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

She hurried past the foot of the bed to stand beside Sakura and peer outside.

"Where?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes. But all she could see were rows of houses.

"You're so clueless, Yukino. This house faces north-south—you'd never see Mount Fuji from here," Sakura said, tapping Yukinoshita's shoulder lightly with a mock-scolding tone.

"Then don't make it sound so real!"

Ugh, what an idiot she was—falling for something so obvious.

If she couldn't see Mount Fuji from her own high-rise apartment, how could she possibly see it from a house like this?

"Don't be so gullible, Yukino. You really need to start growing up a bit. Believing everything people say will only hurt you."

"Will you knock it off already" Yukinoshita's delicate brows twitched twice in frustration.

"Hahaha, but there is a Mount Fuji—look!" Sakura said, pointing down to the garden below.

Yukinoshita followed her gaze, then quickly stepped back from the window, her irritation mounting.

Her brows twitched even faster as she began to wonder if this was just what happened to everyone when they visited friends' houses.

Mount Fuji—emblazoned on Hojou's apron.

"See? Beautiful, right?" Sakura giggled. "Watching Kyousuke cook dinner for me from up here… it just makes me so, so happy."

'…Stop, please stop already.'

"Do you not read at all, Sakura?" the black-haired girl changed the subject, choosing to ignore those words altogether.

"I do!"

"Just… those few manga volumes?"

The massive rosewood bookshelf was practically empty, holding just a few manga that didn't even fill one shelf.

Yukinoshita found it baffling—someone who could spin so many clever-sounding lies and even trick her surely had a deep well of knowledge, right?

"There are also three novels there." Sakura proudly pulled out three copies of her cherished limited-edition books, each marked with serial number 1.

Yukinoshita took one and wasn't at all surprised to see them in Sakura's collection.

"So what do you do when you're not reading?" she asked.

In Yukinoshita's life, the only time she wasn't surrounded by books was when she was sleeping.

"I'm never bored! Shopping, chatting, watching TV… there's never enough time."

"…." Yukinoshita let out a pained sigh and closed her eyes, feeling a chill run down her spine.

"Oh, and don't think I'm shallow just because I don't read much! I bet even people ten years older than me haven't seen as many movies as I have!"

Sakura opened the cabinet below the bookshelf to reveal her DVD collection.

When she was younger, she used to rent discs from video stores; as she got older, she started buying them herself.

"I see. That definitely suits you—gathering knowledge through movies," Yukinoshita said with a nod.

She herself rarely watched films, whether at home or at the theater.

Watching a movie alone and laughing out loud in an empty room only made her feel even more lonely.

If the people on-screen were laughing together, that sense of isolation doubled.

And she didn't like it.

But for Yamauchi Sakura—she could probably laugh all by herself and be perfectly happy.

Her spirit was far stronger than it looked.

"Ever since third grade, whenever Kyousuke and I have free time, we watch movies together. Even now. Like Home Alone—we've watched it five times. I pretty much know every line by heart~"

————————————————————————

Meanwhile, in front of Toyogasaki Academy's front gate—

Eriri stood by the gate's stone pillar, completely baffled.

If her phone hadn't popped up with a to-do reminder at the end of the school day, she would've left with Naoka already.

She wasn't trying to prank Katou Megumi or anything—she'd just totally forgotten.

She didn't even have that faint feeling of "I'm forgetting something…"

This girl's stealth mode was unreal! She wasn't just a background character—she was an Assassin!

Eriri glanced at her companions: Kasumigaoka Utaha and Naoka.

When she mentioned Katou Megumi's name, they both looked equally puzzled.

Naoka was a little better, eventually managing, "Oh, wasn't she the girl who had lunch with Sakura and the others at the café once?"

As for that dummy Kasumigaoka Utaha—

"Oh dear, Sawamura-san. It seems the weight of harsh reality has finally crushed you, and you've retreated into a fantasy world. Congratulations. May you find a fulfilling life there," she said with a smug look.

'Idiot! My real life is already amazing, thank you very much.'

It's your delusional mind that's the problem, always twisting the truth.

No wonder you're such a gloomy shut-in.

Before long, a girl with a short bob haircut came hurrying over.

"Sorry to keep you waiting"

She was slightly out of breath as she bowed to apologize.

"No worries, no worries—we just got here too."

The blonde ojou-sama had a smile that outshone the sun and a voice brimming with cheer.

If you wondered why, you only had to look at the two fangirls squealing from afar.

She might not have a Kyousuke-style support team, but Katou Megumi's idol aura was undeniable.

"You're such a hypocrite, Sawamura-san," Uttered Kasumigaoka Utaha, curling her lips in a smirk.

"Mind your own business!" Eriri shot back, her small tiger fangs showing.

"What a peculiar request, but isn't that what I'm doing right now?"

"No wonder you're a third-rate writer—you can't even grasp such a simple remark. I can only imagine how awful your stories must be. Ugh, seriously, just try to understand what people are saying for once, would you?"

No, the one at fault here is this arrogant woman.

Love Metronome has nothing to do with it!

"Oh my, getting embarrassed already, are we~~?"

"Who'd act all bashful in front of someone like you? You're ridiculous—knock it off!"

"But Sawamura-san, your fair, delicate porcelain-like face is already blushing so adorably," Utaha teased, her smirk growing even more devilish.

"You…! You're so unbelievably rude. Stop trying to imitate how other people talk!" Eriri snapped, her cheeks growing even redder.

Inside her round-toed leather shoes, her toes were curled up so tightly she was sure she'd tear through her black cotton socks.

She never realized how mortifying words from her friends could sound when they came out of Utaha's mouth.

"Eriri, Eriri, people are watching…" Naoka Ueno interjected with a tired sigh, giving the feisty blonde a gentle tug.

Honestly, these two put on this show nearly every time the three of them walked home together.

"…Hehehe~~"

Eriri—Sawamura Spencer Eriri, the perfect princess of Toyonozaki—spun around at once, following Naoka's subtle cue.

Like flipping a switch, the fury on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a poised, refined princess-like smile.

"W-Wow~~" Katou Megumi's eyes widened a fraction, her mouth opening slightly in surprise.

She hadn't expected this hidden side of Sawamura at all.

"Alright, let's go. I don't have time to play these childish games with certain people. Kyousuke is waiting for me to teach him how to dance."

With that, Eriri tossed her bag over her shoulder and strode ahead.

"I never would've guessed that a shut-in glued to her computer could actually dance. Or is it one of those dancing video games?"

"Hmph!"

Eriri let out a soft snort, twin puffs of air escaping her nose as she glanced at Megumi beside her and decided to stay quiet.

There's no way this shallow, clueless woman could ever understand—Kyousuke was always there to do morning exercises with her.

Even if she was a shut-in, she was the most active shut-in around!

But…

She stole a quick glance at Utaha's perfectly rounded hips, peeking out from under her skirt.

Honestly, what an indecently curvy backside.

And she had the nerve to wear those tight leggings and tank top just to tempt that perverted Kyousuke.

Who was probably thinking about nothing but that creamy white stuff in his head.

What a fool—he didn't even get that it wasn't about size, it was about fit!

'No way—I'm definitely joining that woman's workouts at night from now on!'

"Don't mind them, Kato-senpai," Naoka said with a gentle laugh as she fell into step beside Megumi. "This is just how they show affection for each other. Actually, they're really close."

"Who's close with her?!" the two girls shouted in perfect unison.

"Hehe~~ I can tell~" Megumi giggled softly.

"Naoka, stop putting weird ideas in Kato's head," Eriri snapped.

"Oh no, Sawamura's getting embarrassed, how cute~~"

"I'm not embarrassed! And you—don't say another word to me before we get home!"

"Oh? Won't you be lonely if I stop talking?"

"Not at all!"

"My, telling me not to talk while you're still talking to me… Sawamura, you're really the type to be strict with others but go easy on yourself."

"KASUMIGAOKA UTAHA!!"

"Hohohoho~~"

Seeing Eriri's sudden transformation into a bristling little lioness, Utaha let out a delighted laugh, joined by giggles from Megumi and Naoka behind them.

Megumi's smile softened.

'They really do get along well,' she thought, her heart lifting a little.

She glanced around at the three of them, feeling even more excited about the upcoming gathering.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, the top student in her year since freshman year—Toyonozaki's star pupil, who also wrote award-winning plays for the drama club.

Sawamura Spencer Eriri, a classmate of Megumi's since first year, who had already won an award of excellence at the prestigious Tokyo Youth Art Exhibition.

Everyone in school was certain she'd win at least a bronze prize this year, and she was the undeniable ace of the art club.

Despite her incredible talent and striking looks, she was surprisingly approachable.

And then there was Ueno Naoka, one year younger, who had a special scholarship and had already declared her intention to lead the textile club to this year's National High School Fashion Design Competition.

She was a campus star in her own right.

And Kotou Megumi herself—someone with no outstanding talents at all, yet somehow, she found herself walking with these brilliant people.

It felt… a bit surreal.

Even if Eriri and Utaha's real personalities didn't exactly match the rumors floating around school, Megumi still admired them.

Their vivid, vibrant selves—they drew her in, though it wasn't quite envy, just a kind of quiet fascination.

'Ruyi Dorm, huh?' She smiled to herself at the name.

It meant "everything as you wish," and it really did feel like a dream.

And there—there were also Sakura and Hojou, waiting.

————————————————————————

"Momotarou, help me test if this is the right thickness."

As he sliced up vegetables with his head bent low, Kyousuke dropped a fresh slice of bright red beef to the fluffy little dog at his feet.

Momotarou sniffed eagerly and snatched it up right away.

'Mm-mm, as expected of aniki. Even your raw beef is delicious!' Momotarou barked with a happy wiggle.

He might've picked up that aniki thing from Kisaki Tetta, but he was sure he'd replace him one day—after all, he was an actual dog!

"Alright, here's another one."

Seeing Momotarou devour it so joyfully, Kyousuke grinned and tossed him another slice.

In his previous life, he'd feed his dog scraps without a second thought—none of this pampered nonsense like you saw online.

This beef was meant for the clear broth later; he'd already marinated the meat for the spicy broth.

He hadn't started prepping the fish yet—Eriri loved watching him work with seafood, so he was saving that show for her return.

Suddenly, both he and Momotarou perked up their ears.

'Eriri! Aniki, that's Eriri's voice—she's back!' Momotarou yipped excitedly, quickly swallowing the beef he'd been savoring and bouncing to his feet on his little legs.

"Ah, Eriri's home already? Go greet her, Momotarou."

Kyousuke picked up a nearby cloth and wiped his hands, his hearing sharp as ever for these familiar voices he'd flagged as important.

He walked into the living room and called to Shouko, who was in the kitchen prepping vegetables.

"Let Sakura and Yukinoshita upstairs know it's almost time to eat."

His hands still oily, he didn't go to open the door himself.

Instead, like a proper butler… no, more like a devoted househusband, he stood beside Momotarou at the foot of the entryway stairs, smiling faintly as he waited.

The voices grew closer and closer.

No doubt about it—Eriri and Utaha were still bickering.

They must be parched by now.

He almost wanted to offer them a glass of cola each.

The sound of the door lock turning wasn't exactly silent—it was actually supposed to be silent, but Kyousuke had insisted it make a noise.

Why? Well, certainly not because he liked noise, it's just for an alert if someone broke into the house.

Before the door was fully open, Eriri's energetic voice rang out, leaving no room for the worries he'd had.

"I'm home!"

"Welcome back~" Kyousuke instantly responded.

"Geez, are you an idiot? Why are you standing in the doorway like that? You scared me!"

Despite her words, Eriri's grumpy face was immediately overtaken by a smile she just couldn't hide.

"Eriri, you're drooling a little."

"As if!"

Eriri's smile vanished as quickly as it had come—though it didn't do much to cover her excitement—as she stepped aside to reveal the three people behind her.

"Welcome back, Naoka, Utaha-senpai," Kyousuke said, embracing his role as the ever-so-just childhood friend of the Justice Goddess herself (Sakura's version).

Fairness and justice were practically his life mottos.

"I've brought back your new lover for you. If you find just one's not enough, feel free to let me know~"

Utaha bent to remove her high heels, a playful smirk on her lips as she dropped a bomb that made everyone's faces go pale.

"Um… does that mean I'm Hojou's 'new lover'?"

At the back of the line, Katou Megumi lifted her right index finger to point at her nose, her expression utterly baffled.

Though it was hard for Kyousuke to look away from her long, shapely legs in black stockings, he quickly regained his focus.

"Of course not! That woman is full of nonsense—everything she says is basically hot air. Katou, I'm disappointed in you! Didn't everything you saw and heard on the way here make it clear how crazy she is?"

'New lover, huh? Was this woman's brain broken?'

Before she could keep ranting, Eriri—already in her slippers and handing Kato a pair of disposable guest ones.

She truly looked like the mistress of the house right then: scolding the foul-mouthed, black-stockinged seductress while teaching the newcomer proper manners.

Thankfully, Katou's natural ability to fade into the background wasn't just talk.

Utaha merely gave a teasing jab before gliding past Kyousuke into the living room.

But she had barely taken a few steps when she stopped, tilting her head to look up at the second floor.

"Oh? So there's another new lover? Looks like I'll have to move down a spot in the lineup today."

She turned to Kyousuke with a gaze full of eight centuries of pent-up desire, her teeth lightly biting her lower lip in a way that.

If he weren't surrounded by gorgeous girls—would have made him drag her into the kitchen for a… conversation.

"That's just another friend of Sakura's. She invited her, that's all," Kyousuke quickly explained, even though he knew it was pointless.

"Another friend of Sakura's?!"

Eriri had joined Utaha's side, looking up at the black-haired girl on the stairs.

"New lover? Sakura, are you sure this primitive creature of yours has evolved enough to understand modern language?"

Yukino Yukinoshita frowned, then quickly smiled.

"Well, as a smart person, trying to understand the thoughts of something non-human is the greatest insult to my intelligence."

"But I am worried about your living conditions, having to deal with…"

She paused, raising a lightly clenched fist to her nose in her usual thinking pose.

"…Sorry, I can't seem to find the right word to describe it. Let's just call her a 'dangerous creature.'"

As this new-generation rapid-fire banter unfolded in the entryway, everyone reacted differently.

Naoka was quietly sneaking away along the wall, sensing she was in no place to intervene.

Eriri's eyes had turned into classic mosquito-coil swirls—she wasn't even the target, but just being near it made her feel faint.

Katou Megumi, as always, showed no expression on her flawless face, as if she'd turned off her hearing entirely.

She even had the presence of mind to ask Kyousuke where she should put her bag.

Meanwhile, Utaha's smile never faltered.

It just shifted—from a playful seductress to a demon king's grin.

"Oh? Hohoho~ Interesting~"

"Hey, Kasumigaoka Utaha, are you okay? She's insulting you!" Eriri asked worriedly.

She could almost see black flames flickering around Utaha.

"Oh? Sawamura-san…"

"N-no, Katou, come here, you can put your bag over here," Eriri quickly cut in.

"Oh, o-okay~ Coming~"

Kato responded with a cheerful voice completely at odds with the atmosphere, lightly skipping past Kyousuke and Utaha.

Utaha set her bag on a side table, using her elegant fingers to brush back her silky, jet-black hair.

In the soft light from the garden, her pale profile looked like a piece of white porcelain, practically glowing.

Kyousuke had always thought Yukino was the perfect example of a refined aristocrat, but in that moment, he realized.

There was someone in this house who looked even more like a true lady than Eriri—and it was Utaha.

The simple, graceful way she played with her hair was enough to showcase her refined charm.

So, faced with the choice of joining Eriri—who was frantically waving at him to hide—or standing behind Utaha as her unwavering support.

Kyousuke chose the latter without hesitation.

Utaha was too gentle but he couldn't let Yukino bully her.

Just as he was thinking this, a pair of soft arms wrapped around his own, and he found himself enveloped in plush warmth.

A sweet, almost sickeningly so, voice whispered in his ear.

"Kyousuke~"

"Hm?" Had I become some sort of prop?

"When did your taste become so awful? Even if you're not thinking about your future children, aren't you worried she'll give you a heart attack when the lights go out?"

As she spoke, Utaha leaned in close, her generous curves pressing firmly against him.

Yukino's brow furrowed.

The woman below her spoke again, voice dripping with provocation.

"Or… do you actually like that mouth of hers that never stops spouting nonsense? I suppose it's true that a writer might get bored and want some entertainment."

"If there's a toy like that around to spout silly jokes, it could be an amusing distraction.

"But remember—when you're done with that ridiculous noise, tie her mouth shut."

"Creatures like that never understand they're just around to kill the boredom, not because they're special in any way."

Whoa—Utaha's counterattack was just as savage.

They were basically revoking each other's membership in the human race!

Peeking from behind the sofa, Eriri's eyes sparkled with excitement.

'Wow… Utaha's a completely different person when she's sparring with Yukino compared to when she's yelling at me.'

'Could Naoka be right—does she actually… like me a little?'

'Hmph! That's not impossible. After all, I am the world's number one beautiful girl.'

"Right, Momotarou?"

She reached out to pet the fluffy puppy curled up in Megumi's lap, then glanced at the bob-haired girl's calm face.

'Wow, Kato, you're amazing too. To stay so serene in the middle of this scene…'

On the second-floor landing, Yukinoshita stood with her arms crossed, still frowning as she tried to decipher the meaning behind the first thing the other woman had said.

"Oh my, even if you keep insisting you're some brilliant mind, you still can't seem to recognize your own existence, can you?" Kasumigaoka said softly, raising her left hand to cover her cherry-red lips as she let out a theatrical gasp.

"The one standing above, when you don't understand something, you might want to lower your head and take a closer look."

Lower her head? Was this a simple suggestion to stay grounded? It didn't seem that straightforward.

Kasumigaoka's words felt like a double-edged jab, implying something about her acting all high and mighty. But Yukinoshita was sure she had only spoken the truth.

If anyone deserved harsh words, it was that scoundrel Hojou, not her.

Ignoring the real culprit and instead directing hostility at her? Ridiculous.

Such a person was truly unworthy of the term "human."

Yukinoshita dropped her arms and obediently looked down at her own feet—still, she found nothing.

So she concluded:

This was merely some foolish nonsense, spat out by someone incapable of intelligent conversation.

"Yukino-chan, Kasumigaoka-senpai was saying you don't have any boobs," Sakura interjected cheerily.

'Boobs? What nonsense. Surely she wasn't…?'

'Wait, what?'

A flicker of anger flared in Yukinoshita's eyes.

"Men can't rely on youth, looks, or size to succeed—they have to hone their skills. The same goes for women."

"The only ones who take pride in such trivialities are those who sell their bodies or talentless performers with nothing else to show. If you're so clueless, I suggest you read that man's novel next to you at least ten more times."

"I can't promise you'll learn how to speak properly, but it might at least help you make the world a more peaceful place."

"Oh my, such filthy words from someone whose name I don't even know."

"I was only trying to say that when you're so quick to look down on others, you'd better first lower your head and check if you even have the right to preach to them," Kasumigaoka responded sweetly.

Her expression almost angelic—an innocent smile that felt so out of place it startled Eriri.

This demoness could smile so adorably?

Before Eriri could glance over at Shouko, silently asking if she had taught Kasumigaoka some "smile technique," that same sweet expression vanished.

In its place was a teasing, wicked grin.

"Or maybe," Kasumigaoka purred, "you're just so obsessed with those thoughts that no matter what someone says, you always twist it back to that? Oh my, how scandalous~"

She covered her mouth again, her slim waist twisting with laughter, while the man sandwiched between those proud curves managed only a resigned.