Living in the Heart of Tokyo

'Whoa! So scary, so scary—Mistress Kasumigaoka is really terrifying. She's definitely the strongest contender for the role of leading lady.'

'Looks like I'll have to be nice to her from now on. Sorry, Eriri, I'm not betraying our friendship, I'm just thinking about how to take care of you better in the future.'

Trembling all over on Katou Megumi's lap, Momotarou the dog made a sorrowful decision while glancing at Kasumigaoka Utaha, who seemed to radiate an ominous aura.

It was time to remember the beginning—who was it that brought him from the pet store to this warm home?

It was her!

The girl in this household with the biggest chest, Mistress Kasumigaoka!

"You're such a coward, Momotarou. How do you plan to guard the house like this? Come on, show some backbone. I expect more from you," Eriri said, knocking lightly on the dog's head as it whimpered in fear.

Kyousuke was still counting on Momotarou to serve as a biological security system—best to drive out these increasingly scary women one by one!

Hmm… Kasumigaoka was different, though.

Even if she didn't admit it out loud, she'd already surrendered to Eriri in her own way.

She could stay, at least as the scriptwriter for the studio.

"Hey, Kyousuke, what do you think?" Kasumigaoka asked with her usual charm.

Honestly, she was usually too lazy to talk to people she didn't know.

Occasionally making small talk was a good mental exercise, but ultimately, she was doing it for Kyousuke.

His answers always told her exactly where she stood in his heart.

She liked to spar with Eriri, who still didn't realize that Kyousuke's affections were already balanced between them.

Eriri always took Kyousuke's half-hearted responses as proof of victory—so foolish.

Against the girl upstairs with no chest to speak of, Eriri would probably end up crying every day, no matter how much Kyousuke favored her.

That's why Kasumigaoka thought she'd better step in and put an end to it herself.

The privilege of age, after all.

"Hm…" Kyousuke glanced at Yukinoshita upstairs, and then at Yamauchi Sakura beside him, deciding it was time to end this conflict.

"By the way, when I said 'shut her mouth,' I didn't mean some kind of adult toy—please, use proper pet supplies from a reputable store."

Tilting her head as if a sudden thought had occurred to her, Kasumigaoka's wine-red eyes twinkled with mischief as she glanced up at Yukinoshita on the second floor.

'Whoa, Utaha, your fighting spirit is off the charts today,' Kyousuke thought, turning to look at her, but he couldn't help noticing the way her blouse strained around her chest.

"Alright, alright. That's Sakura's friend—give her a little face," he said in a low voice.

That was his only reason; otherwise, he'd be happy to let Utaha-senpai give her a proper schooling.

Knowing her, if she heard about Yukinoshita's lofty ideals, she'd instantly weaponize them in a vicious counterattack.

Kasumigaoka always loved to use her status as an elder to sugarcoat her barbs, especially with Eriri.

She did the same with Kyousuke himself—even though he was old enough mentally to be her father, she still exuded that irresistible older-woman charm.

"Sakura, huh…" Kasumigaoka said, glancing at the ever-smiling Yamauchi Sakura.

This girl, she still had no clue what was really going on in Kasumigaoka's head.

Was she raising a harem around Kyousuke?

How many more women was she planning to stuff into this dorm?

What did she want to turn this place into?

Sighing, Kasumigaoka gave Kyousuke's arm one last teasing squeeze with her chest, then let go and picked up her schoolbag.

Upstairs, Yukinoshita is about to launch a counterattack, analyzing Kasumigaoka's verbal traps word by word.

But she reluctantly fell silent.

Kasumigaoka might sound harsh, but it was all just a basic debate tactic: if you're under attack, don't defend or argue back—just pick apart the other person's sloppy phrasing.

Keep repeating it, and questions turn into relentless probing.

It was a simple, effective method—especially devastating when the other person thought too highly of themselves.

Yukinoshita knew she could have said the same things:

"What are you talking about? I don't understand. Are you just spouting your filthy fantasies again?"

But it was a petty tactic, suited only for the shallow-minded.

It didn't actually change anything or force anyone to see their mistakes.

It was just an ugly shouting match—exactly the kind of behavior Yukinoshita despised.

Frustration boiled in her mind.

She gripped the second-floor railing so hard that the tiny veins under her fair skin stood out starkly.

No matter how much she disliked those two downstairs, she had to give Sakura some face—Sakura had invited her, after all.

'But still… it was so frustrating!'

Yukinoshita Yukino didn't realize it, but her current mood was just like how people feel after a heated argument.

Whether they win or lose, they always think of a better comeback afterward.

Except in her case, she already had the perfect response in mind while the argument was still happening.

She just couldn't bring herself to use it.

But… when she turned to glance at Yamauchi Sakura.

Sakura's bright, sunny face was beaming, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

She was gripping Yukinoshita's arm like she was about to start cheering with pom-poms.

'Are you really enjoying this little drama that much?'

Yukinoshita's irritation deepened—she felt like a circus animal performing in front of an overly enthusiastic audience.

That brilliant, sun-like smile she used to find so comforting now felt like a hammer pounding on her chest.

"Let's go, let's go! I'll show you the fish in the garden—they're really beautiful. Eriri brought them over from England. They're koi," Sakura said, slipping her arm around Yukinoshita's and speaking in a conspiratorial whisper.

"You love fish, right? You'll have so much fun looking at them!"

"I like cats, not fish! And anyway, no one would bother raising koi in England just to ship them back to Japan, where the koi comes from is part of its value," Yukinoshita shot back, then let out a sigh.

Somehow, Sakura's nonsense had blown away a lot of the anger in her chest.

"Welcome home, Utaha-senpai. This is my friend Yukinoshita Yukino," Sakura said brightly as Kasumigaoka reached the second floor.

"Mm." Kasumigaoka smiled gently at Sakura, then turned her wine-red eyes to Yukinoshita.

Her smile morphed into that elegant, slightly smug one of a true lady.

"Welcome to the Ruyi Dorm… Yukinoshita—"

She paused, her eyes flicking down to Yukinoshita's chest, and the smile on her lips deepened.

"—Yukinoshita Hirano-san (plain/flat land)."

"Uh-oh, cold front coming in! Yukino, Utaha-senpai's a master of verbal judo—your aikido can't match her!" Sakura said dramatically, pretending to hold Yukinoshita back with a panicked look as if she were about to charge in.

It was clear now, she had become a performer for the amusement of shady businessmen.

Feeling the barely-there grip on her arm, Yukinoshita gave Yamauchi Sakura a speechless glance.

The girl's face was flushed with "anxiety," her acting truly worthy of applause.

Yukinoshita took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and turned toward Kasumigaoka Utaha, who stood with her arms crossed and a pair of cold, prominent assets glaring at her like watchful sentinels.

"I don't have any romantic feelings for Hojou Kyousuke. I'm only here because Sakura invited me. So there's no need for you to act like a territorial animal in heat, as if someone just trespassed on your precious domain."

Yes, she understood the real issue here perfectly.

This ridiculous, unjustified war wasn't worth fighting.

Which is why she chose—for now—not to call out the deliberate misnaming.

"Oh my? And this is… Hmm, sorry, Hirano-san, right? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's trademark smirk didn't budge an inch, standing in stark contrast to Yukinoshita's clenched jaw.

'Oh, you know I like Kyousuke? Who in this room doesn't know that? Who doesn't like him? Don't act like you're the only one with brains and a mouth!'

The red-eyed enchantress seethed inwardly.

Eriri always said she acted high and mighty, but Yukinoshita Yukino was on a whole other level—perching on a pedestal.

Pretending to see through everything and everyone, as if she alone held all the answers and the rest of them were just pawns.

"Round Two begins now! On one side, the red-eyed succubus, blazing in black flames from the depths of the abyss, armed with a scandalously sexy figure! And on the other, the Ice Witch from the frozen north—Yukinoshita Yukino!"

Eriri, who had somehow procured a bag of chips without anyone noticing, cheered excitedly from the couch, shoveling a generous handful into her mouth.

Her crystal-blue eyes sparkled with insatiable curiosity.

"Umm… Sawamura-san… are they really going to be okay like this…?" Katou Megumi clutched her own bag of chips—clearly gifted by Eriri.

Despite her refined demeanor, Eriri was a generous and thoughtful friend when it came to casual hangouts.

Still, Megumi hadn't opened the bag.

Dinner was coming up soon, and snacking before meals was something her mom would frown on.

"They're fine, totally fine. We're not even at the good part yet." Eriri replied nonchalantly.

They hadn't even started throwing hands yet.

"I see~" Megumi nodded, placing her chips neatly beside her on the couch.

She resumed petting Momotarou the dog, embodying a scene of pure, quiet domestic bliss.

"…No, wait, actually, something is wrong," Eriri suddenly muttered.

She turned toward Kyousuke and raised her voice.

"Hey, you! How long are you gonna stand there like an idiot? What, you won't be satisfied until I starve to death?!"

"..."

Kyousuke gave her a deadpan look.

That wasn't what she said earlier when she gratefully took the chips from him—or when she asked him to wipe her hands after petting Momotarou.

'You think I want to miss this drama? '

'Do you realize I'm the only one here who can stop a catastrophe if things get out of hand?'

'If it comes to it, I'll take on a cleaver or kitchen knife for this cause!'

Glancing at the grinning Eriri sitting cross-legged on the couch—her skirt threatening to reveal more than it should, he sighed and casually tossed a blanket over her lap.

"Katou-senpai, would you like to go check out the garden for a bit?" Based on what he knew of her, she probably didn't enjoy loud, chaotic environments like this.

"Hmmm… I thought about it… but I think I'd rather not disturb you, Hojou-kun~" Megumi tilted her head and replied sweetly.

Yup, everyone was into this.

She probably even imagined how she'd act if she were the one in the spotlight.

Kyousuke, now somewhat familiar with Megumi's patterns, could sense the subtle excitement beneath her serene tone.

He hesitated for a moment, considering whether to invite Shouko, who was now back in the kitchen washing vegetables.

But seeing how her hands had paused mid-motion, he knew the answer.

Even someone as gentle as Shouko was drawn in by this mess.

"Huh? I'm fine. Katou, you go if you want," Eriri said cluelessly.

"Sawamura-san, I do have a question though~~"

Megumi suddenly steered the conversation in a new direction.

It seemed abrupt, but with her flat, breezy voice, it was easy for Eriri to fall into her rhythm.

"What is it?"

"Well~ you know… Kasumigaoka-senpai got such a long list of colorful adjectives before her name, but Yukinoshita-san only got two plain ones, Don't you think it's kinda unbalanced?"

Megumi tilted her head slightly, clearly amused.

Who'd have thought the refined, ladylike Sawamura-san would sit like that at home and say things that sounded straight out of an edgy light novel?

"Uhh…"

Eriri stopped mid-crunch and turned to Megumi, staring at her for a good two seconds before lowering her head.

Yeah, why was that?

Had that witch Kasumigaoka really made such a strong impression on her?

Did she actually care about her that much?

No way—that couldn't be it.

It had to be because she didn't know Yukinoshita well enough yet.

If she spent more time with her, she'd come up with at least eighteen unique adjectives too.

"Listen carefully, Katou. People who get too caught up in appearances will eventually fall into the abyss."

"I've already seen through Kasumigaoka's true nature, so her disguises won't fool me."

"It's not about how many adjectives there are—it's about grasping the essence of the words!"

She raised a hand to pat Megumi on the shoulder for emphasis—but spotting the salt grains on her fingers, she thought better of it.

"Hmm~ but you're the one who said so many adjectives I couldn't even figure out the point, Sawamura-san~~"

"…Ugh."

The moment that groan left her lips, Eriri was hit with intense déjà vu.

Hadn't she just been rendered speechless by something Megumi said earlier?

But this didn't make sense—wasn't Kato supposed to be the forgettable background character who couldn't even remember names?

Since when did she develop such elite-level roasting skills? This totally broke her character setting!

'That's supposed to be my job!'

"Enough! No more talking—just watch and learn—I mean, just enjoy the show!"

"Okay" Megumi's calm tone was the kind that never embarrassed anyone.

Her lighthearted voice made people relax and forget their worries—no one ever felt like they had said something out of line.

Not that Eriri was in the mental state to consider all that.

Right after Yukinoshita had said her famous line about not liking Kyousuke and not needing Kasumigaoka to act like a horny beast protecting her territory—and after Kasumigaoka had pulled out her "I don't understand" universal defense…

"…But there's one thing I am sure of—Kyousuke doesn't like girls with small boobs. If you need proof, just ask Sawamura-san."

"Kasumigaoka Utaha, what nonsense are you spouting?! Mine is the normal size! It's you and her who are the outliers!" Eriri shouted.

With no boys present, it was as if the invisible restraints binding them all had vanished.

"Oh~ my bad. I didn't mean to single you out." Utaha turned around dramatically, the motion making her towering assets jiggle like jelly.

"Damn that woman!" Eriri gritted her teeth so hard it sounded like cracking ice.

Then she glanced over at the girl beside her—Katou Megumi.

'Hmph, just you wait... I'm going to catch up to you soon!'

"Sigh—" Yukinoshita let out a long exhale.

She no longer cared about Yamauchi Sakura who is watching amusedly beside her and spoke directly to Utaha:

"Kasumigaoka-san, you do realize, don't you? Only immature people act like this—constantly looking for a fight just to feel something."

"It may seem like confidence, but really, it's just a desperate attempt to mask their inner insecurities."

"For someone like that, all I can feel is pity. Pity for how weak they are inside."

"Engaging with such people only drags you down to an ugly place—one filled with pointlessness and noise. It's disgraceful. Deeply disgraceful."

Yukinoshita Yukino's pale, porcelain face showed no emotion.

Her light blue eyes shimmered with quiet pity. Just like before, Utaha was met with Yukino's signature move:

The "I don't understand you" technique—highly effective against the self-important.

Add to that Utaha's deliberate misnaming tactic—it was clear she saw Yukino as someone ignorant and arrogant.

If that's the game she wanted to play, then fine.

Yukino would stand tall—aloof and unreachable—radiating compassion from a pedestal Utaha could never reach.

She would show her what true elegance looked like.

"But you know," Utaha responded with a refined, elegant smile, "for someone who claims to dislike Kyousuke, you showed up at his house by the second week of school."

Her bright, alluring face remained composed, her tone graceful.

After all, this was a girl bold enough to pick her nose during a school-wide speech.

A verbal jab like that wasn't going to faze her.

A certain blonde ojou-sama apparently saw this as a decisive blow.

If she were the judge, she might've already declared the winner.

Katou Megumi tilted her head slightly, watching Eriri who still thought she was whispering and began to wonder if what Utaha said applied to her, too.

'Well... Hojou-kun has been to my house before—he just didn't come inside.'

'And technically, I was invited here by Sakura, so… doesn't that count as a return visit of sorts?'

'Hmm~ nope, not about me after all.'

The bob-haired girl brushed the whole exchange off as effortlessly as wiping away dust, leaving no trace in her heart.

That way, it wouldn't affect her relationship with Sakura, Hojou-kun, Sawamura-san… or anyone else.

Yes, this was the brilliance of Katou Megumi's way of navigating life.

Unlike Yukinoshita-san, who was walking down the stairs with her now—definitely more impressive than Megumi, no doubt—but still clearly rattled by Utaha's words.

She might even take it out on Hojou-kun later.

Leaving no trace on others, and not letting others leave a trace on her—that's Megumi's real invisibility power.

…Is there anyone normal in this house?

Yukinoshita closed her eyes and let out a pained sigh.

Clearly, everyone drawn to Hojou was utterly hopeless.

Hopeless… completely hopeless…

'Has Sakura rubbed off on me? Am I really starting to make jokes?'

The goddess of justice was struck again—this time not by Utaha, but by her own conscience.

Unlike Yamauchi Sakura, Yukino couldn't joke about things like her own death so casually.

"Let's go. The koi bred in England await."

Pointless. Arguing was such a waste of life.

It was people like this that made the world so frustratingly irrational.

"Yup yup~!" Wide-eyed and delighted, Sakura responded cheerfully, then waved at Utaha with a smile as if to say "see you at dinner."

Utaha returned the gesture with her usual elegant smile, long legs in sheer black stockings striding gracefully to the door.

She turned the handle with delicate poise and—

Victory.

Just before stepping inside, Utaha's lips curved into a confident smirk, and her crimson eyes glinted with predatory charm.

"NO! The worst-case scenario has arrived! Now that the Abyssal Temptress has triumphed over the Snow Witch, her arrogance will burn even hotter, like black flames licking the sky!"

Eriri said dramatically, as if voicing over the end of a movie, forecasting doom for the world.

"Ah~ so the black flames are emotion-based? Didn't know that was part of her setting… impressive~"

Kato Megumi whispered since Sakura and Yukinoshita were now approaching to them.

Yukinoshita glanced at the blonde girl sitting cross-legged on the sofa, so full of chuunibyou energy it physically hurt to watch.

Back when she saw the portrait in the room, she had asked about the artist.

Sakura told her it was painted by a well-mannered English lady—someone so dazzlingly beautiful and impossibly talented that even Yukinoshita found herself impressed.

Now?

Did her diplomat father never teach her that whispering means not letting people hear you?

Or was she, like Utaha, just another sadist trying to provoke her with passive-aggressive antics?

"Hey, Megumi—you made it~ Sorry I didn't greet you right away," Sakura said with one arm around Yukinoshita, waving at Megumi with the other.

"Mm~" The bob-cut girl shook her head. "Sawamura-san was taking care of me~"

Hearing her voice, Yukinoshita jumped slightly.

She hadn't even noticed Megumi was there before—like a wax figure suddenly animating. Or a painting stepping off its canvas.

"Thanks, Eriri~"

"There's no need to thank me for something like that."

"Yeah, that's true~ hahaha~"

Sakura laughed softly, then gestured to the group.

"Yukino, those koi are the ones Eriri brought from her place. They used to live in the massive old Furukawa garden! She even drew little diagrams by the pond so you can tell which fish is which!"

"That's right! Once you've seen my drawings, anyone can identify every single koi by name—just like how Momotarō could tell his allies apart!"

"Come look too, Katou. Even Kyousuke said these fish are gorgeous. That fish-headed monster in episode 15 of One Punch Man? Totally inspired by General Bubble!"

Eriri stood up and waved for Katou Megumi to come over.

Somewhere along the way, her way of addressing Kato had smoothly shifted from "Kato" to "Megumi" without anyone even noticing.

"Mhm~" Katou replied cheerfully, smiling at Sakura before quickly following behind Eriri.

"Fish... with names? Fish actually have names?"

Yukinoshita turned to Yamauchi Sakura, feeling more and more like she'd stepped into a surreal parallel world ever since entering this place known as the "Ruyi Dormitory."

"Is giving fish names a tradition in the Sawamura family or something?"

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