"Welcome back."
After three intense days of competition, Kitagawa Ryo returned to the dorms immediately. One hand dragging a heavy suitcase, the other holding a massive bouquet of flowers, he stopped in front of his room. As he reached into his pocket for the key and opened the door, a voice from inside greeted him.
He instinctively responded, "Oh... I'm back."
Then, it hit him.
"Don't tell me... they handed out spare keys to everyone now?"
"Who knows?"
Horikita Suzune smiled, shaking her head slightly. Her hair, tied into a loose ponytail for cooking, swayed with the motion. She gently looped her pinky around the hair tie and let her long, black hair cascade down her back like a waterfall, exuding a graceful, dynamic beauty.
"I'm so 'jealous' that you got to take an impromptu trip while the class was in complete chaos," she said through gritted teeth, walking over to help carry his luggage.
On May 1st, homeroom teacher Mashima Tomonari had announced the class point system. D-Class had spiraled into disorder. Ichinose Honami and Sakura Airi, two of the most well-liked students, had up and left with Kitagawa Ryo. And before leaving, Ryo casually let slip that Suzune had joined the student council.
Sakayanagi Arisu, ever the troublemaker, had fanned the flames, exaggerating how Suzune was the only first-year to achieve this honor. Even Katsuragi Kohei, the A-Class leader, had failed the interview—making Suzune his undeniable superior. Arisu, of course, conveniently omitted the fact that she herself was technically also a council member.
The class was lost. Without Honami and Airi to step up, Horikita Suzune had been thrust into a leadership role by default.
"Shouldn't this be a good thing? Don't you want to lead D-Class all the way to A-Class and show your brother how far you've come?" Ryo teased. "You know, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west... And back then you barely paid me any attention—"
Suzune gave him a side glance that clearly said: Keep talking, and you're dead. Ryo wisely shut up and handed over the bouquet.
"Surprise!"
"Not much of a surprise if I already saw it. And this bouquet is clearly yours—"
Before she could finish, a white fluffball popped out from the bottom of the bouquet.
Hotaru, the cat, took one second to grasp the situation. With a cheerful meow, she leapt into Suzune's arms.
Still covered in leaves and flower petals, the little white kitten exuded a natural floral scent. Her adorable blinking eyes instantly melted Suzune's icy facade. A smile returned to her lips.
"Pretty good move, right?" Ryo grinned.
Just like his constant interference in her life, Hotaru had also become an inseparable part of his world.
This trip had two goals: First, to establish social connections outside of school for favors like delivering letters or gifts. Second, to sneak Hotaru in. Initially, Ryo had planned to stuff her in a thermos—because, hey, cats are liquid, right?
But after half an hour of trial and error, he went with a safer plan. Hotaru hid in the bouquet and made it into the school.
"If they find out, Hotaru will be kicked out. And you might be punished too."
As a student council member, Suzune knew the rules well. The brief surprise quickly gave way to concern.
"It'll be fine. She stays in the room. And once I have enough points, I'll exploit some loophole and buy the right to keep her here."
"Points can buy anything here, after all."
Ryo was clearly a pro at sneaking cats into dorms. He waved dismissively.
"But speaking of which, Suzune, aren't you technically breaking the rules too?"
Ryo smirked as he reached out and stroked Hotaru's head.
"I'm not my brother. I'm not the student council president either. Maybe, just maybe, it's okay to look the other way sometimes."
Blushing at the teasing, Suzune stomped her foot and pressed Hotaru's face against Ryo's.
After the playful moment, the two washed their hands and sat down for dinner. Hotaru, meanwhile, was already burrowing into Ryo's closet, trying to build a nest from old clothes.
Before she could fully dive in, Suzune yanked her out by the scruff.
"Those clothes are freshly laundered and folded. No messing them up."
Hotaru slumped dramatically on the floor, clearly betrayed. Her opinion of Suzune as a cat mom dropped a level.
To level 2: No head pats allowed.
While Suzune washed her hands again, Ryo began eating the meal she had prepared.
"So, how's D-Class doing? And the other classes?"
"Don't talk about boring stuff during meals."
Though mildly annoyed, Suzune pushed another dish closer to him. She had clearly already eaten and was now just watching him.
For her, it was a nostalgic and refreshing feeling. In the past, cooking had been a cold, functional process. But now, watching Ryo enjoy her food brought a different kind of joy—almost peaceful.
Ryo took the hint and stopped talking, savoring each bite.
The soft clinks of chopsticks, the kitten's purring, and the warmth between them filled the room.
"I'm full," Ryo said with a sigh, setting down his chopsticks.
"Let's get some stuff for Hotaru. We might have to make a bed ourselves."
"Okay."
Suzune quickly cleared the table. Of all the girls Ryo knew, she was the best at household chores—even more so than Ichinose Honami, whose mother likely prioritized study over chores.
After finishing the dishes, Ryo told Hotaru to stay put, and the two left for the convenience store.
It was early May. The weather hinted at summer. Suzune removed her red school jacket, revealing a simple white shirt underneath. Her flowing black hair contrasted beautifully with the shirt, giving her a softer, more delicate air.
"About the class points you asked earlier..."
When Suzune turned serious, her eyes sharpened, and she regained her usual aura.
"Because of your antics, all four classes are at historically low point levels."
"In past years, even C-Class had more points than this year's A-Class."
"Everyone is shaken. C-Class's Ryuuen Kakeru figured out he was being played and came looking for you, but you weren't around. He left, looking pissed."
"B-Class took it best. Their students are stable, and since A-Class isn't too far ahead now, the gap shrinking is a good thing."
"As for A-Class, they blamed everything on Kouenji Rokusuke, who already withdrew. Katsuragi and their homeroom teacher managed to calm everyone down. This might even make Katsuragi change his cautious strategy."
"He always assumed A-Class had a huge lead. But now, if they keep playing safe, they might get overtaken."
"What about D-Class?"
Suzune visibly frowned.
"Same as A-Class. They pinned all the blame on Yamauchi and Ike. It helped preserve some group unity."
"But many students have already given up on advancing. They see no hope. Even though Mashima-sensei said midterms might offer bonus points, no one believes Yamauchi and Ike can pass. So it's meaningless."
"Why didn't you expel them earlier? Now the whole class has lost motivation."
"Because that's exactly what I wanted. Now everyone will aim to barely pass. If they all scrape by, the class average drops."
Ryo's logic sounded ridiculous at first, but Suzune sensed something deeper. Before she could ask, they arrived at the store.
It was the beginning of the month. Students had just received their points, so the place was crowded.
First-years, especially from C and D-Class, were clearly struggling with the reduced points. Living on one-tenth of what last year's students had.
But to Ryo, who held over ten million points, this wasn't his problem.
As they searched for pet supplies, they overheard two A-Class students.
"If I'd known the first test was about classroom behavior, I would've screamed at Kouenji."
"He dropped out anyway. We just have to work hard from now on."
"Midterms will be fine. Our grades are good."
"Katsuragi is organizing a study group. You going?"
"Yeah. Even if I'm mad about the points, Katsuragi isn't to blame. He's a great leader."
The two grabbed their items and walked off.
"He really is a good class rep," Ryo said sincerely.
Without Sakayanagi, Katsuragi could've led A-Class just fine. Steady and reliable.
But A-Class was no longer far ahead. Thanks to Ryo, they were nearly tied with B-Class.
Even Katsuragi would be forced to take action.
Whether B-Class could endure, depended on Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's strategies.
"Found it."
Suzune crouched and picked up a small wooden house, possibly a decoration. The size looked just right.
"Looks good. Remove the base, add a cushion or blanket."
They made quick decisions and bought what they needed.
On the walk back, Ryo's mood improved. He hopped playfully along his shadow.
"Let's make Hotaru a home!"
Suzune had rarely seen him this cheerful. Right now, Ryo wasn't a blank slate—he was a transparent bubble, glowing with rainbow light in the sun.
He feared becoming a replacement for Horikita Manabu. But to Suzune, he never was.
Even if he seemed perfect in every way.
Although... his closet was so messy, Hotaru could live there.
Suzune sighed and walked up to walk beside him.
-------------------------------------
[Hotaru's Home]
It was a small flag made from fabric scraps, enthusiastically crafted by Horikita Suzune. The words on it had been handwritten personally by Kitagawa Ryo.
Now, that proud little flag fluttered atop the roof of Hotaru's newly renovated wooden cabin.
With her front paw, Hotaru lay sprawled across her rooftop, gently blowing at the flag, watching it wave in the breeze.
Reflected in her beautiful, firefly-colored eyes was the scene of Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune unpacking the luggage they'd brought back together. Hotaru gave a lazy yawn.
In honor of her new home, Hotaru generously decided to reinstate Horikita Suzune's cat-owner ranking.
"Meow."
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